Motet: Quam pulchra es et quam decora (John Dunstable)

  1. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    This is a short religious song, or "Motet", written by the late medieval/early renaissance English composer John Dunstable (1390-1453).

    I have recorded this as an instrumental trio, based on an arrangement for three viols (treble, tenor and bass) by Albert Folop from the IMSLP archive (Link). The instruments used were:

    Treble: "Baroq-ulele" bowlback ukulele/mandolin/soprano lute (GDAE tuning)
    Tenor: Ozark tenor guitar
    Bass: Troubadour Lionheart bouzouki

    In Folop's arrangement, the "tenor viol" part is actually slightly lower than the "bass viol" part if played at the indicated pitch. It may benefit from either playing the tenor a octave higher (although this would put it in much the same range as the treble part) or the bass an octave lower (which would take it just below the range of my zouk), but I have left it as notated for now.

    This is a popular vocal piece, and usually performed somewhat slower than my recording, the tempo of which was governed by the limited sustain of plucked string instruments.



    Martin
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