Gloria, Old Hall 11

This Gloria setting is a fragment from the Old Hall Manuscript, one of the most important sources of English music from the late medieval period. Sung in Latin, its text expresses the joyful praise of God, beginning with the angelic announcement of Christ’s birth and continuing through the central prayer of the Mass Ordinary. The three-part setting for countertenor, tenor, and tenor (ATT) would have been suitable for liturgical use during services such as Christmas or the Feast of the Trinity, or at other important feasts throughout the church's year. The composer remains unknown, as is common for many works in this manuscript, but the music itself clearly demonstrates the skill of its creator.