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The expressive qualities of this motet from Gradualia far exceed its size. The text “Thanks be to God” appears frequently in several Christian traditions but is rarely given a musical setting.  Here, Byrd make use of two motives, the opening ascending scale in bar 1 and the C-B-C-A-G in bar 3.  Both of these evolve, but note that the melodic shape of the motive in bar 3 appears earlier in bar 2 in the bass in a different rhythm.  Keep finding what else happens!  A short, powerful piece of music.  Performance time:  0:25.
-- Peter Seibert