Salve regina [056]

William Byrd

Full title / Other titles

SR056 Salve regina 5 vv ; 2.p. Et Jesum 5 vv

Type

Motet

Scores

[1] Salve regina

Polyphonic ensemble SATBX

S-C2; M-C2; Ct-C3; T-C4; B-F4. No evidence of chant. Textual phrases are differentiated through motivic material, texture and expressive use of harmonic language. Like Byrd’s four-voice Salve regina, this setting begins with reduced voices: a duo (M and Ct) defines “salve regina,” whereas “mater…salve” (mm. 4-21) is scored for a three-voice imitative, contrapuntal texture. Verse 3, “ad te clamamus,” introduced in a quasi-homophonic full-voice texture soon returns to the style of the previous verses. Except for a brief three-voice section that initiates the text “nobis post exilium ostende” (mm. 103-7), a full-voice texture predominates. To express the text “in hac lacrimarum valle” (mm. 42-7), Byrd uses the following harmonic progressions: E, a, C, g, d, a, e, g, d, F. Declamatory text setting prevails. Final a.
[2] Et Jesum

Polyphonic ensemble SATBX

Description

External link:
CPDL 08686 [Choral Public Domain Library]

Associated people

William Byrd - Composer

Creation place and date

No information.

Associated sources

Sung texts

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Salve, regina, mater misericordiae;

Vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae.

Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.

Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens,

O pia,

O dulcis virgo Maria.

Bibliography

Modern editions

[The Byrd edition. 3]

Byrd, W., 1981, The Byrd edition. 3: Cantiones sacrae II: (1591) / ed. by Alan Brown, Brown A. (éd.), London.
(n° 4)

References

[The collected vocal works of William Byrd III]

Byrd, W., 1999, The Collected Vocal Works of William Byrd / Vol. 3, Fellowes E. H. (éd.), London.
(n° 6-7)

Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

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Salve regina [056], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/2005/] (accessed 20 January 2026).

Last modification: Dec. 1, 2025