Ave regina caelorum [023]

William Byrd

Full title / Other titles

AC023 Ave regina coelorum 4 vv

Type

Motet

Scores

Ave regina coelorum

Polyphonic ensemble SATB

S-C1; M-C3; T-C4; B-F4. No use of chant. Imitative, contrapuntal texture with distinctive motivic material employed for textual phrases. Note use of paired imitation for “ave Domina angelorum” and invertible counterpoint with “gaude virgo gloriosa” (M & S/T & B). Textual/musical sections are defined by cadence, number of voices, texture changes and motivic material. Declamatory text setting; melismas for “Ave,” “caelorum” and “vale.” Final G with use of both f and f-sharp.

Description

External link:
CPDL 11729 [Choral Public Domain Library]

Associated people

William Byrd - Composer

Creation place and date

No information.

Associated sources

Sung texts

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Ave, regina caelorum,
Ave, domina angelorum:
Salve, radix, salve, porta,
Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Gaude, virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa,
Vale, o valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum exora.

***

Pre-Tridentine version:

Ave regina coelorum,
Ave, domina angelorum,
Salve radix sancta
Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Gaude gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa:
Vale, valde decora,
Et pro nobis semper Christum exora.
Et pro nobis Christum exora.

***

Tridentine version:

Ave regina coelorum
Ave, domina angelorum,
Salve radix, salve porta
Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Gaude virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa:
Vale, o valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum exora.

Bibliography

Modern editions

[The Byrd edition. 6b]

Byrd, W., 1993, The Byrd edition. 6b: Gradualia I: (1605); other feasts and devotions, Brett P. (éd.), London.
(n° 6)

[The collected vocal works of William Byrd V]

Byrd, W., 1938, The Collected Vocal Works of William Byrd / Vol. 5, Gradualia (1605) (Parts Ii and Iii), Fellowes E. H. (éd.), London.
(n° 14)

[Tudor church music VII]

Byrd, W., 1927, William Byrd 1543-1623: Gradualia, Books I and II, London ; New York.
(pp. 159-62)

References

No information.

Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

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Ave regina caelorum [023], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/1339/] (accessed 22 January 2026).

Last modification: Dec. 10, 2025