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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Canon • “Non Nobis Domine” (William Byrd)

Jeff Ostrowski · July 16, 2018

EVERAL READERS misunderstood my recent article which revealed a secret about the St. Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal. They thought the hymnal will contain polyphonic scores, but that’s incorrect—the Brébeuf hymnal contains 900 pages of marvelous metrical melodies in English for the congregation. There’s no room for polyphony, and that would be inappropriate for a hymnal. 1 The point I was trying to make last week is that the Brébeuf hymnal will have individual rehearsal videos for choirs who sing SATB hymns.

What do I mean by “individual” tracks?

Click on the link below (#88208) for William Byrd’s fabulous canon, Non Nobis, Dómine, and you’ll understand:

REHEARSAL VIDEOS for each individual voice and PDF score await you at #88208.


Many readers won’t click on that link—depriving themselves of the PDF score and individual tracks—which truly makes me glum.

Will you do so?

HE EXCELLENT SINGERS on this video 2 were participants in the Symposium. In terms of performance, there are many possible options. One method is to have the Highest Voice sing through the entire melody. Then add the 2nd line. Finally, add the 3rd line. By the time the 3rd line is added, the volume should be close to forte, but as the canon continues, it can eventually fade away. The canon can be sung by all women or all men—or both men & women (as shown on the PDF score). The PDF also shows that this canon was once used as “Grace before meals” for festive occasions in England.

Mozart and Beethoven greatly admired this canon. Dr. John Christopher Pepusch, in his Treatise on Harmony (1730), distinctly calls it “the famous Canon by William Byrd.”

88197 John Christopher Pepusch


…but some musicians have questioned whether William Byrd formulated this canon, and are currently in the process of attempting to prove he did not. 3



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   A serious flaw I’ve noticed in some hymnals is an attempt to contain “something for everything.” Such hymnals insufficient excerpts from the Liber Cantualis, insufficient excerpts from the Graduale Romanum, insufficient excerpts from the Missale Romanum, an insufficient quantity of congregational hymns, and end up leaving everybody unhappy. The Brébeuf hymnal avoids that by having a clearly defined focus which is desperately needed: beautiful Roman Catholic metrical hymns in English.

2   The singers were: Jacqueline Halas, Karen Furlong, Francesca Evaristo, Sarah Decker, and Sarah Halas.

3   The problem is that this canon’s melodic elements are so basic—making them difficult to trace.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Non Nobis Domine, William Byrd Canon Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

Giovanni Doni is known for having changed the name of note “Ut,” renaming it “Do.” He convinced his contemporaries to make the change by arguing that 1) “Do” is easier to pronounce than “Ut,” and 2) “Do” is an abbreviation for “Dominus,” the Latin word for the Lord, Who is the tonic and root of the world. There is much academic speculation that Giovanni Doni also wanted to imprint himself into musical canon in perpetuity because “Do” is also ulteriorly an abbreviation for his family name.

— Giovanni Battista Doni died in 1647AD

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