Gloria tibi Trinitas

Today is Trinity Sunday. In the musical and liturgical situations that I have served, it is always celebrated with great solemnity and "massive" joy. Favorite hymns are sung, and there are several famous anthems and motets that feature prominently. Often, a "Te Deum" is sung, and in America, this Sunday often marks the "close of the choir season."

The music I'm uploading today is all "early English." It doesn't have the "grandeur" of the music I just described, but hopefully, all of the "quality" of the composers who wrote it.

John Blitheman (Blithman, Blytheman, Blythman, c. 1525 – 23 May 1591) was an English composer and organist.

The "Fitzwilliam Virginal Book," which includes this, the third of his "Gloria tibi Trinitas" settings, gives his forename as William. However, Chapel Royal records from 1558 to 1590 consistently refer to John Blitheman, and there can be little doubt that this was the composer's name.

Nothing is known about his early life. In 1555 he was chaplain at Christ Church, Oxford, becoming master of the choristers there in 1564. From 1585 until his death he was appointed organist of the Chapel Royal (succeeding Thomas Tallis), where John Bull was both his pupil and successor. He died in London in 1591 and is buried at St Nicholas Olave, Queenhithe.

The great majority of Blitheman's works is included in The Mulliner Book, where he is represented by fifteen pieces. One of his In nomines, dating from before 1591, displays the earliest known example of triplet figuration in English keyboard music.

I know him mainly from his sublime motet, "In pace," a setting for Compline, and a very popular piece in the cathedral repertoire.

This performance of "Gloria tibi Trinitas," is certainly NOT "historically accurate!" If it were played upon the organ, it would have had one manual, diapasons only, so, the more "colorful" version heard here is "wrong," but sounds nice. :-)

I'm sorry that I have no photos of Blitheman, but the score is attached.