the text should be obvious to the hearer—a not unnatural reaction against the profuse and intricate style of many contrapuntal settings. For short texts it was entirely applicable, but for the longer canticles it was heavy and hampered musical expression overmuch. Before the end of the century, then, this plain harmonic type of writing was again supplemented by ample counterpoint.
Among the famous early settings of parts of the liturgy were the Litany
(Stone, 1544), the Canticles, Creed, Psalms and Communion in Plain-Song
(Merbecke, 1550), and the Preces, Versicles and Responses (Tallis,
1552?). The composition of whole Services—settings in motet style of
all the canticles, etc., required in Morning or Evening Prayer or in the
Communion (analogous to the Mass)—became frequent after 1560.
With these, as variable parts, came the writing of 'anthems,' the English
counterpart of the older Latin motets. This latter form has had a
remarkable modern development.
The first venture in hymn-tunes was the Goostlie Psalmes of Coverdale (1539), derived from Lutheran sources. This was overshadowed by the metrical Psalter begun by Sternhold in 1548 and gradually enlarged in England and at Geneva until 1559, when three very different variants diverge—the Genevan, much influenced by Marot's French version and discontinued after 1570, the English (or 'Old Version'), completed in 1562 and supreme in the Anglican Church till about 1700 or after, and the Scottish, completed in 1564 and used till 1650. The English variant was almost wholly in 'common metre' and at the best had but about 40 tunes of a plain type, while the Scottish used many metres and had over 140 tunes in a much richer style. The readiness of Knox and his circle to utilize the best Calvinistic music is curiously in contrast with the English reluctance.
Although the Elizabethan composers pass over without break into those of the early 17th century (see secs. 69, 99), the earlier leaders should be given here:—
John Sheppard, first a choirboy at St. Paul's, London, in 1542 became organist at Magdalen College, Oxford, and from 1551 was in the Chapel Royal. He left services, motets and anthems (from 1550).
John Merbecke (d. 1585?), born in 1523, was a choirboy at St. George's, Windsor, and later organist there. In 1550 he issued his famous Plain-Song settings of the Prayer Book services, besides leaving a mass and a few anthems. In 1544 he was almost martyred for his Protestant views, and in later life he was more theologian than musician.
Richard Edwards (d. 1566), also born in 1523, was both a poet and a musician of high order. From 1561 he was Master of the Chapel Royal, a post then involving dramatic as well as musical gifts. His madrigals are famous.
Robert Whyte (d. 1574) was highly esteemed in his time, but strangely forgotten afterwards. He succeeded Tye at Ely in 1562, removing to West
