Thomas Morley was a widely influential composer, publisher, theorist, and performer of music in late 16th century England, living in London at the same time as Shakespeare. As a publisher and a composer, he is often seen as a leading voice in the introduction of Italian contrapuntal style into the native style of British vocal music, leading to a flowering of the madrigal in English composition of the time.
In 1597, Morley published his guide to novice musicians, A Plain and Easie Introduction to Practicall Musicke , which includes instruction in music theory and composition. Included in this collection is his composition Christes Crosse , an exploration to the edge of the practical limits of the potentially infinite rhythmic proportions.
A steady, repeated vocal line (with text that mostly consists of the alphabet) supplies the constant pulse against which two florid lines (without text) articulate increasingly complex rhythmic subdivisions, creating an impression of changing tempos. The piece starts with familiar divisions of the beat into 2, 4, or 8 parts, and proceeds to introduce subdivisions of 3, 5, 7, and 9 parts, as well as various simultaneous combinations of them, which are known as polyrhythms. Many of these polyrhythms would not be seen in Western classical music again for nearly 300 years.
Despite the extreme complexity of the rhythms relative to the norms of the time, Morley evidently considered the piece to have pedagogical value, as he recommends,
“Take this song, peruse it, and sing it perfectly; and I doubt not but you may sing any reasonable hard pricke-song that may come to your sight.”
But far from a mere rhythmic exercise, the song is
delightfully mercurial, by turns elegant and mischievous.
-Austin Wulliman
Christes crosse be my speede,
in all vertue to proceede,
A, b, c, d, e, f, g,
h, i, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s & t,
double w, v, x, with y,
ezod & per se, con per se,
title, title, est Amen,
When you have done begin againe begin againe.