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Tue 4 October 2005 St Peter's Church, Brighton Jubilare! The final glorious flowering of English medieval polyphony. Works by Ludford, Cornysh, Taverner and Tallis. (Our part in BREMF.)
Why have we called this concert Jubilare!?? "Anglici vulgariter jubilare" wrote the great medieval theorist Joannes Tinctoris in 1476. He was comparing English singers with French, whom he said " vero cantare dicuntur". This was translated by an eminent musicologist as implying that the English shouted while the French sang properly, but could this really be true? Looking at the music of the time suggests otherwise. While Continental Franco Flemish polyphony of the time could be dense textured and ornamented, it was still written basically for a male voice choir in 4 parts. English music, on the other hand, was written for a five part choir with boys' voices divided between the very high treble and the medium voiced mean. It led to a generally much wider overall compass - up to 23 notes - and allowed for a great deal of textural variety. In fact, this late 15th and early 16th century English music stands alone in style from the rest of Europe - as did the choirs. It is a highly ornamental web of sound and colour with decorated vocal lines exploiting the full range of the voice. The exuberant style of writing would invite a forthright delivery from the singers - there is no way you can sing this music in half voice! So maybe Tinctoris's "Jubilare" implies something more triumphant, and as to the "vulgariter"....well that is a matter of taste.
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