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Chelys, vol. 7 (1977), article 1
Whereas it may be argued that in the four-part In nomines the composer
had insufficient parts to produce a consistently full yet varied effect, in the
two In nomines a7 the forces were probably too [10] great for Parsons to
control them effectively. Once again crudities in the writing are present,
consecutives or near consecutives being the most obvious:
Ex. V1
There is also some doubt as to the authenticity of the second of these two
pieces, for in Add. MS. 32377 the piece is ascribed to Byrd. However, since
the In nomine follows two other pieces by Byrd in this source, the
ascription could easily be a scribal error.
In the first In nomine a7, the opening imitative idea hints at the
plainsong as in the In nomines a4, although there are no obvious references
to the Taverner model. The reference to the cantus firmus is particularly
interesting since Parsons delays the entry of the plainsong voice until all the
other parts have begun. The composer’s Libera me Domine and
Peccantem me quotidie also delay the entry of the plainsong until well into
the piece, the chant being paraphrased (albeit unsystematically) in the other
parts—an unusual step for responds. 19 Descending imitative phrases are the
basis of the In nomine after the opening section, colour and variety being
given by `antiphonal’ grouping of the parts under the long-note voice in the
top part. The piece is remarkable in having four true bass lines.
The second of the seven-part pieces begins in quite the opposite (and
rather more normal way), with the cantus firmus being the first part to
begin. The ‘antiphonal’ writing has also gone, replaced by a much fuller
texture throughout. The three repeated notes occasionally found in the fourpart
pieces occur much more frequently here, with occasional rhythmic
variation:
Ex. V11 (a) & (b)
[11] the final ascending phrase being reminiscent of that in the first In
nomine a7:
19 See P. Doe : ‘Tallis’s Spem in alium and the Elizabethan Respond Motet’, M&L, li
(1970), p.1 f.