William Smyth Rockstro

“ Of these classes the most interesting by far is that which includes the psalm-tones, or psalm-tunes, called by modern English historians, the “ Gregorian tones.” The oldest of these are tones 1, 3, 5 and 7, as sung by Ambrose. The antiquity of tones 2, 4, 6 and 8 is less firmly established, though there is no doubt that Gregory the Great sanctioned their use on strong traditional evidence. In addition to these, a peculiarly beautiful melody in mode 9, known as the Tonus peregrin/us, has been sung from time immemorial only to the psalm In exitu Israel. ”

“ The famous forty-part motet, Spent in alium, written for eight five-part choirs, stands on a far higher plane, and the tour de force of handling freely and smoothly so many independent parts is the least remarkable of its qualities. ”

“ But the presence of corruption rarely passes undetected by the initiated; and vigorous efforts have been made from time to time to purify the received text by reference to the oldest and most trustworthy MSS. attainable. Such an eHort was begun on a very extensive scale by the “Congregation of Rites, ” at the instigation of Pope Pius IX., in the year 1868; and the labours of that learned body, together with those of the monks of Solesmes and elsewhere, have done much towards the restoration of plain chant to the highest state of purity possible. ”

“ Tallis died November 23, 1585, and was buried in the parish church at Greenwich, where a quaint rhymed epitaph, preserved by Strype, and reprinted by Burney and Hawkins, recorded the fact that he served in the chapel royal during the reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth. This was destroyed with the old church about 17 10; but a copy has since been substituted. Portraits, professedly authentic, of Tallis 'and Byrd, were engraved by Vandergucht in 1730, for Nicolas Haym's projected History of Music, but never published. One copy only is known to exist. ”

“ In one or other of the twelve “ modes ” recognized by this decision every plain-chant melody is composed. The number of such melodies preserved to us, the genuineness of which is undoubted, is very large; and the collection is divided into several distinct classes, the most important of which are the melodies proper to the Psalm- Tones and Antiphonv ”