“Tallis’s setting [of Miserere Nostri] is a canon six in two; six voices are used to create a simultaneous or double canon. The first is a canon at the unison, between the two highest voices. Superius 1 is the antecedent (the first sounding voice) by one semi-breve. The second is a mensuration canon of four voices, all beginning simultaneously. The Discantus part is the antecedent with the Contra tenor in canon in double augmentation (the notes are four times longer). The two Bassus parts are in canon per Arsin et Thesin, that is they are inverted so that upward intervals in the antecedent are downward in the consequent (the answer). Bassus 2 is augmented (the note values are doubled) and Bassus 1 is triple augmented (the note values are eight times longer).” ~Alistair DixonÂ
Dawn Grib says