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Patrick Douglas, composer
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Patrick Douglas: In convertendo
edited by Gordon Munro
An attractive motet setting for five voices (SA(orT)TTB) of Psalm 126 by
a little-known Scottish composer of the mid sixteenth century. Patrick
Douglas may have been a student at St Andrew’s University and later held
a prebend of St Gile’s collegiate church, Edinburgh, c. 1556.
Patrick Douglas, "priste, scott borne", was active during the mid
sixteenth century. He may well be the "Sir Patrik Dowglas" who held a
prebend of St Giles’s Collegiate Church, Edinburgh, in 1556-7 and again
in 1567; and was possibly a student at St Salvator’s College in St
Andrews (c. 1533-4). He is thought to be the son of
William "Willie" Douglas, 7th Laird of Bonjedward.(1)
The motet In convertendo, a setting of Psalm 126
for five voices, is the only work by Douglas which survives complete.
The only other work known to be by him is a seven-part instrumental
Miserere. Both pieces are recorded in English manuscripts of the late
sixteenth century, suggesting Douglas, like Robert Johnson before him,
fled Calvinist Scotland during the late 1560s. There was certainly no
place within the Reformed Church for Latin polyphony such as In
convertendo. The motet was doubtless sung at high-church establishments
in England, possibly the Chapel Royal, where the source (the Baldwin
Partbooks) seems to have been compiled. At any rate, In convertendo was
a well-known work in its day, and was admired enough to have been
transcribed at least twice for viols. The finely wrought imitation
throughout the motet points to a composer of considerable skill; and
Douglas was evidently highly regarded by his contemporaries, as the
Baldwin Partbooks attribute to him the composition of a motet, Ubi est
Abel, which is in fact by the Continental master Orlando di Lasso.
lyrics
In convertendo Dominus captivitatem Sion,
facti sumus sicut consolati.
Tunc repletum est gaudio os nostrum,
et lingua nostra exultatione: tunc dicet inter gentes,
Magnificavit Dominus facere cum eis.
Magnificavit Dominus facere nobiscum;
facti sumus laetantes.
Convertere, Domine, captivitatem nostram,
sicur torrens in Austro.
Qui reminant in lacrimis,
in exultatione metent.
Euntes ibant et fiebant,
mittentes semina sua,
venientes autem venient cum exuhaüone,
portantes manipulos suos.
Comment:
He likely fled Scotland for England during the late 1560s following the
Scottish Reformation, as there was little place for Latin polyphony in
the new Reformed Church. Other references to Patrick Douglas may place
the composer in Paris around 1584. He later moved to the Scots Monastery in Ratisbon, where he served as a lector in philosophy to the Scots monks,
and where he died on May 10, 1597.
Notes:
1. However, one source states Patrick Douglas was born in 1527, in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, United Kingdom as the son of Sir Archibald Douglas and Lady Margaret Moncrief Hay Campbell Baroness of Argyll. He had at least 1 son with Katherine Crauford. He died about 1574, in Scotland, United Kingdom, at the age of 48.
Given this reported date of death, this seems improbable.
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Sources
Sources for this article include:
•
University of Glasgow Chapel Choir
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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