The Text of the 1575 Cantiones Sacræ

William Mahrt, Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Music at Stanford University, presents this lecture as part of the 23rd Annual William Byrd Festival in Portland, Oregon. Since 1964 he has directed the choir of St. Ann’s Chapel in Palo Alto, California, which sings mass and vespers in Gregorian chant on all the Sundays of the year, with masses in the polyphonic music of Renaissance masters for the holy days. He also directs the Stanford Early Music Singers; they have recently completed a cycle of masses of Josquin Des Pres, as well as a series of concerts in the form of historical vespers services. Dr. Mahrt has published articles on the relation of music and liturgy, and music and poetry. He frequently leads workshops in the singing of Gregorian chant and the sacred music of the Renaissance.