Byrd: Mass for Five Voices: Kyrie
Text Melody Texture Harmony
‘Kyrie -Head motif unites mass- stepwise -Fugal opening -Aeolian mode written in Cm
Eleison’ with hint of phrygian -Parts imitate each other -Frequent use of suspension
-Stepwise movement -Counterpoint at approach to cadence -Perfect cadence with tierce de Picardie (GMCM) to close
-Soprano has a rising melismatic -SATTB section
figure that is used in Tenor and bass
‘Christi -New motif with lower auxiliary note -Used in imitation ST-A-T-B -Bass part transposed to F minor leading piece to F
Eleison’ followed by a descending scale -Soprano and Tenor 2 begin in compound -Section closes with perfect cadence in F major with tierce de
3rds Picardie
‘Kyrie -New scalic dotted motif -Imitation 2 beats apart B-(T with invertd -Tenor 2 inverted dominant pedal first in Fm then Cm
Eleison’ -Bass sees augmentation dominant pedal)- S-T-A -Section ends with imperfect cadence in Cm as only opening of
-Homophonic double suspension decorated mass
with lower auxiliary note in 3rds -Note natural 7th which is unusual in aeolian mode
Byrd: Mass for Five Voices: Agnus Dei
Text Melody Texture Harmony
‘Agnus Dei’ -Head motif unites mass- stepwise -SATTB -Notated in Cm
with hint of phrygian -Fugal entries of head motif (S-A-T)
-Stepwise movement -3-part writing
-Alto has tonal answer -Alto has tonal answer
‘qui tolis -Ascending sequence on scalic motif -Imitation -Augmented triad
peccata -Use of false relation -4-3 suspension to close section embellished with lower
mundi’ auxiliary note
-Perfect cadence in Gm closes section
‘miserere -descending scale motif -overlap with previous phrase -Repetition a tone lower
nobis’ -Fugal entries -Impression of interrupted cadence in between 1st and 2nd
-Phrase repeated twice repetitions.
-2nd repetition closes with perfect cadence in EbM
‘Agnus Dei -Homophonic contrast -Modulation to Bb
qui tolis -4-part writing
peccata -Parts become more independent and
mundi’ contrapuntal
‘miserere -Alto scalic decorations -Changing pairings of voices
nobis’ - SA in 3rdsSB compound
Text Melody Texture Harmony
‘Kyrie -Head motif unites mass- stepwise -Fugal opening -Aeolian mode written in Cm
Eleison’ with hint of phrygian -Parts imitate each other -Frequent use of suspension
-Stepwise movement -Counterpoint at approach to cadence -Perfect cadence with tierce de Picardie (GMCM) to close
-Soprano has a rising melismatic -SATTB section
figure that is used in Tenor and bass
‘Christi -New motif with lower auxiliary note -Used in imitation ST-A-T-B -Bass part transposed to F minor leading piece to F
Eleison’ followed by a descending scale -Soprano and Tenor 2 begin in compound -Section closes with perfect cadence in F major with tierce de
3rds Picardie
‘Kyrie -New scalic dotted motif -Imitation 2 beats apart B-(T with invertd -Tenor 2 inverted dominant pedal first in Fm then Cm
Eleison’ -Bass sees augmentation dominant pedal)- S-T-A -Section ends with imperfect cadence in Cm as only opening of
-Homophonic double suspension decorated mass
with lower auxiliary note in 3rds -Note natural 7th which is unusual in aeolian mode
Byrd: Mass for Five Voices: Agnus Dei
Text Melody Texture Harmony
‘Agnus Dei’ -Head motif unites mass- stepwise -SATTB -Notated in Cm
with hint of phrygian -Fugal entries of head motif (S-A-T)
-Stepwise movement -3-part writing
-Alto has tonal answer -Alto has tonal answer
‘qui tolis -Ascending sequence on scalic motif -Imitation -Augmented triad
peccata -Use of false relation -4-3 suspension to close section embellished with lower
mundi’ auxiliary note
-Perfect cadence in Gm closes section
‘miserere -descending scale motif -overlap with previous phrase -Repetition a tone lower
nobis’ -Fugal entries -Impression of interrupted cadence in between 1st and 2nd
-Phrase repeated twice repetitions.
-2nd repetition closes with perfect cadence in EbM
‘Agnus Dei -Homophonic contrast -Modulation to Bb
qui tolis -4-part writing
peccata -Parts become more independent and
mundi’ contrapuntal
‘miserere -Alto scalic decorations -Changing pairings of voices
nobis’ - SA in 3rdsSB compound
