Choral Public Domain Library

Hi,

I have a problem with the very beginning of the bass line, when it goes down like that: C Bb A G I realize I've always sung Ab, which, according to the scores edited here at cpdl, seems wrong.
However, I'm now feeling strange when singing the A natural! Perhaps because I've got used to the first version?

I've been unable to find a free facsimile of this piece on the net, and thus would be interested by any comment by one of the editors, or anyone feeling reliable on the subject
Thanks

edited : I perhaps should have posted in "Musical questions", sorry

Alain,

The published version (in Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs... [1588, with at least 3 more editions thereafter]) is a tone higher, in A with no key-signature, and the passage in question is clearly D C B A - I have facsimiles of both the 3rd (1588) and 5th (c.1607) editions in front of me as I write. I don't have access to a facsimile of the manuscript version in G, but the version in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals (sic!) is based on it and again, it's C Bb A G. It feels odd because of the A flats in the melody (in the Medius part) - but Byrd enjoyed a bit of "bimodality".

DF

PS - I'll move this to Musical Questions - and I hope the above is a "Musical Answer".

Dave, thank you so much, we're working this piece tomorrow evening

I've always seen it and performed it with descending whole, half, whole step (in both keys), never whole, whole, half. And I've probably performed it at least a dozen times.

Chuck

Thanks Chuck, it seems that it's quite clear now; sometimes you make an instinctive mistake at first reading, and for some reason you like it and never get open minded and attentive enough to realize you were faulty !