Cantiones quae ab argumento sacrae vocantur

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One of the first sets of sacred music printed in England (1575), the Cantiones Sacrae were a joint publication by William Byrd and Thomas Tallis. The dedication to Queen Elizabeth was intended both in gratitude for her granting the composers the sole right to publish music in England, and to mark the 17th year of her reign. To this end, each composer contributed 17 pieces to the collection (although some separate numbering of sections of longer works was required to reach this total). In spite of the composers' initial optimism, the venture was a commercial failure, few copies being sold either at home or in Europe.

At the time of publication, Byrd was about 35 and had recently returned to London from a post in Lincoln; Tallis was about 70. The collection contains relatively new pieces as well as those written some years previously.

Contents of the Cantiones of 1575:

1 Salvator Mundi I
2 Absterge Domine
3 In manus tuas (Tallis)

4 Emendemus in melius
5 Libera me Domine et pone me
6 Peccantem me quotidie (Byrd)

7 Mihi autem nimis
8 O nata lux
9 O sacrum convivium (Tallis)

10 Aspice Domine
11 Attollite portas
12 O lux beata Trinitas (Byrd)

13 Derelinquit impius
14 Dum transisset Sabbatum
15 Honor, virtus et potestas
16 Sermone blando (Tallis)

17 Laudate pueri Dominum
18 Memento homo
19 Siderum rector (Byrd)

20 Te lucis ante terminum
21 Salvator Mundi II
22 Candidi facti sunt (Tallis)

23 Da mihi auxilium
24 Domine secundum actum meum
25 Diliges Dominum (Byrd)

26 In jejunio et fletu
27-28 Suscipe quaeso Domine - Si enim iniquitates (Tallis)

29 Miserere mihi Domine
30-32 Tribue Domine - Te deprecor - Gloria Patri
33 Libera me Domine de morte aeterna (Byrd)

34 Miserere nostri (Tallis)