Tune: GENEVAN 136

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GENEVAN 136

Composer: Pierre Davantès (1562); Harmonizer: Claude Goudimel (1564)
Published in 16 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI, Recording

Choral
	A Song of Praise

Composer: Pierre Davantès

(no biographical information available about Pierre Davantès.) Go to person page >

Harmonizer: Claude Goudimel

The music of Claude Goudimel (b. Besançon, France, c. 1505; d. Lyons, France, 1572) was first published in Paris, and by 1551 he was composing harmonizations for some Genevan psalm tunes-initially for use by both Roman Catholics and Protestants. He became a Calvinist in 1557 while living in the Huguenot community in Metz. When the complete Genevan Psalter with its unison melodies was published in 1562, Goudimel began to compose various polyphonic settings of all the Genevan tunes. He actually composed three complete harmonizations of the Genevan Psalter, usually with the tune in the tenor part: simple hymn-style settings (1564), slightly more complicated harmonizations (1565), and quite elaborate, motet-like settings (1565-1566). The vario… Go to person page >

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Tune Information

Title:	GENEVAN 136
Harmonizer:	Claude Goudimel (1564)
Composer:	Pierre Davantès (1562)
Meter:	7.7.7.7
Incipit:	55123 45354 31213
Key:	G Major
Source:	Genevan Psalter, 1562;Les cent cinquante Pseaumes de David, 1564;Genevan 136
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Texts

Let Us With a Gladsome Mind

Jesus! Name of Wondrous Love

All texts published with GENEVAN 136 ^ top

Alternative Tunes

More tunes with meter 7.7.7.7 ^ top

Notes

GENEVAN 136 was first published in the 1562 edition of the Genevan Psalter. The 1564 harmonization by Claude Goudimel (PHH 6) originally placed the melody in the tenor. One of the shortest and brightest tunes from Geneva, this music may be sung responsorially (with a soloist for the narrative stanzas and everyone on the refrain parts, that is, the second half of each even-numbered stanza) or antiphonally (with two groups alternating on the narration, and everyone singing the refrain parts). The tune is in Mixolydian mode and properly ends on D. However, to modern ears D may need resolution to G, the opening chord. For that reason and because of the short tune and narrative style, do not hold the last chord. Instead, continue the rhythmic motion between verses without a pause, especially when singing antiphonally or responsorially. A song leader will help to keep the congregation moving along. MONKLAND (223), which is also associated with Psalm 136 and John Milton's versification in some other hymnals, is a useful alternate to GENEVAN 136.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988

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Timeline

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Choral

A Song of Praise

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