From William Byrd’s 1575 Cantiones sacrae, Miserere mihi,Domine is a technical masterpiece—a double canon on a chant fragment which proceeds almost entirely by step. When the bass enters as the final voice to be heard, Byrd completes the chant melody that had briefly appeared in the highest part. The immense skill needed to devise this gem renders a hypnotic beauty that surpasses the craft.  

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