HIS MELODY, “Mille Regretz,” was used as the basis for several compositions sung at my wedding in Texas 18 years ago. Specifically, Father Cristóbal de Morales (a famous Spanish composer) used it as CANTUS FIRMUS for a Mass he wrote. The choir for our wedding consisted of something like 85 singers, including my twin sister. The “Mille Regretz” melody is said to have been the favorite song of of Charles V (d. 1558) the Holy Roman Emperor. Father Morales was not the only one to set this tune. Josquin des Prez (d. 1521) created a famous setting, which is included in the score below. Nicolas Gombert (d. 1560) also created an SAATTB version. I suppose that makes sense, because Nicolas Gombert in 1526AD travelled to Spain—although he was born in Lille around 1495AD—to become a singer in the court chapel of Emperor Charles V. A few days ago, the haunting version by Gombert was recorded by two friends of mine (Veronica and Sicily Moreno), and below is the result of their efforts.
* PDF Download • “Mille Regretz” AGNUS DEI
—SATB (after Josquin) + SAATTBB (after Gombert).
Cultivating God’s Gifts • It would seem that the 16th century was a ‘high point’ when it comes to great composers: Palestrina, Victoria, Lassus, Josquin, Marenzio, Morales, Byrd, Guerrero, Gombert, and so many others. These days, its seem most people are more interested in memes, TikTok, iPhones, algorithms, and artificial intelligence. I wonder whether the pendulum will ever swing back toward more authentic things, such as the music of Gombert. In the meantime, we try to cultivate a love for genuine things in our children. We have tried to teach them to love music, being outside in nature, and doing artistic crafts. In particular, I worry about the affect too much screen time may have on our childrens’ development.
