O crux gloriosa

Edited by Jason Smart Robert Cooper (d.1539/40)

?b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Solo
Tenor B
O crux

Countertenor B H V b 41 ∑ ˙ ˙ w w ˙ w œ œw n˙ ˙
glo - ri - o - - - - - sa, O
b
B ? 4 w w w w w w w w
Tenor b 1
glo - ri - o - - - sa,

B ? 4 w w
Bass b 1 w w w ˙ ˙ w w
glo - ri - o - - - sa,

ḃ
˙ b˙ w Ó ˙
3

V b ˙ ˙ w w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w œ œ˙ œœ œœ˙

? w w w w w w w w w bw
b w w
O crux a - - -

? ˙.
b Ó ˙ ˙ w ˙ w w
Ó
˙ œ˙ ˙ w
w w ˙ ˙
[O]

b
œ œ ˙ w ˙ w w
6
w w ˙ ˙ ˙ w ˙. bœ ˙ ˙
V b ∑
crux a - do - ran - - - - da, O

?b w w w w w w w
w w w w w
- do - ran - - - - da, O

?
b w w w. ˙ w. ˙ w w w w Ó ˙ ˙ ˙
crux a - do - ran - - - - - da, O

© Jason Smart 2022

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Ó ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w ˙ w Ó ˙
9
œ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w
V b œ ˙ ∑
li - - - gnum pre -

? w w w w w w W w w
b w w
li - - - gnum pre - ti -

? ˙ ˙ ˙. œ ˙ ˙
b w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w
Ó ˙
˙ ˙ w w w
li - gnum pre - ti - o - - - -

ḃ
˙ w ˙ ˙
12

V b w ˙. bœ ˙ œœ ˙ w Ó w ˙ ˙. œ ˙. œ ˙
- ti - o - - - - sum et ad - mi - ra - - - -

? w w w w w w w w w w b
b w w
- o - - - sum et

?
b ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ W
„ „ Ó ˙ ˙ ˙
- - - - - sum et ad - mi -

15 b b
V b ˙ w œ œ ˙ ˙. œ ˙ ˙ ˙ nw w Ó ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙. œ ˙ ˙
bw
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

? w w w w w w w w w
b w w w
ad - - mi - ra - - - - bi -
b b
?b w b˙. œ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙. œw Ó ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w. w
- ra - - - - - - bi-le, et ad - mi - ra - - -

b b ḃ
˙. œ ˙ ˙ 4 ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w b˙
18
w ˙ ˙ ˙. œ w 5 Ó w . œ
V b 1 ˙ ˙ 1
- - - bi-le si - - - - - - - -
b w
? w
b w w w w 51 w w W w 41 w w
- - - - le si - - gnum, per

? 5 4
b ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w 1 ˙ ˙ W W 1 bW W
- - - - - bi - le si - - - - gnum,
 3

21
w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w œ œ œ œ ˙ bw œœw
.
V b ∑ w ˙
- gnum, per

? w w w w w w w w w w w
b w

?
b w ˙. œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ Ó ˙ bw w w Ó w ˙
w w
per

24
b.˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ n ˙ ˙ œœ˙ w Ó w œœœœw w
V b Ó œœ ∑
quod et

? w w w w w w w w w w w bw
b
quod
b b
? ˙. Ó w.
b ˙ ˙ œœœœœ
˙ ˙ w
˙ ˙ w w W
quod et

w b. ˙ ˙ w Ó ˙ nœ œ ˙ œ. bœ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
27
b.˙ w
V b ˙ ˙ ˙ nw J
di - a - - - - - - - - - - - -

? w w w w w w w w w
b w w w
et di - - a - - - - - - bo -
b b
?b w ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙. œ ˙ ˙
bW w ˙ w w
Ó ˙
di - a - - - - - - - - - - -

˙ . b.œ œ œ
30
œ
V b œ ˙ ˙ œœ ˙ w ˙ w ∑ ˙ ˙. œ˙ w Ó ˙ ˙
- - - - - bo - lus est vi - ctus, et mun -
b
?
b w w w w w w W w W w
- - lus est vi - - - ctus, et mun -

? ˙ ˙ ˙ W
b ˙ w w W. w w w
- - bo - lus est vi - - - ctus, et mun -
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b.˙ œ œ ˙ n w Ó ˙ ˙ ˙ bw
33
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w w
V b ˙ ∑ w
- - dus Chri - - - - - - sti san -

? w w w w w w w w w w b. w
b w
- - dus Chri - - - - - sti san - - -

? w
b w w ˙. œ ˙ bw. w w W ˙. œ bœ œ ˙
- - dus Chri - - - - - sti san - gui -

˙ nœ œ ˙
36

Ó ˙ b.œ . œ ˙ w œ b. œ ˙ œ . œ ˙ n w b ˙ ˙ 51
V b ˙ ˙ W J Ó J
- gui - ne

? w w w w w w w 5
b bw b. w b. w w w
.
1
- - - - - - gui - ne re -

? Ó ˙ ˙ ˙ 5
b w w
w ˙ w. ˙. œ w w w ∑ 1
- - - - - - - - - - - ne

U
39

V b 51 ˙ ˙ ˙. 41 ˙ ˙. œ n˙. œ ˙
˙ w œ ˙ w w
re - dem - - - - - - - - ptus.

? 5 w w w 4 U
b 1 w w 1 
- - dem - - - - - ptus.

? b 51 w 41 W U
w. ˙ w w W
re - dem - - - - - - - - ptus.
 Translation

O glorious cross, O cross worthy of adoration, O precious wood and wonderful sign, through which the devil is
conquered and the world redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Liturgical Function

Liturgically, O crux gloriosa was a processional antiphon sung on the feasts of the Invention of the Holy Cross
and the Exultation of the Holy Cross; it was also one of the Marian antiphons to be sung in rotation sung during
the procession after First Vespers on Sundays during Trinity. On these occasions it always ended with an Alleluia
and on the feasts of the Holy Cross it was followed by a verse. None of these are present in Cooper’s setting, which
must have been composed for use as part of a paraliturgical memorial.

Editorial Conventions

The nomenclature of the voice-parts follows the Tudor convention.

The original clef, mensuration symbol and first note of each part are shown on the prefatory staves.
Editorial accidentals are placed above the notes concerned and remain operative throughout the bar.
Accidentals not present individually in the source but implied by the original staff signatures are placed before the
note and have a superscript dot.
Ligatures are denoted by the sign ┌────┐.
Spelling of the text has been modernised.

Source

London, British Library MS R.M. 24.d.2 (c.1588–1606).

f.163v header: iij: voc:– . docter cooper:– .
at end of B: docter cooper:– .

Notes on the Readings of the Source

Cooper’s cantus firmus differs significantly in two places from the Sarum chant as given in the sixteenth-century
printed processionals. There is some inconsistency in the various editions of the printed processional over the
applications of flats to the chant (B flats in the original, E flats in the edition). Mostly these concern the E flats in
bars 2 and 5 of the edition. Cooper specifically flattens the second of these. The edition follows the processionals
of 1530 and 1545 which flatten this pitch throughout, but the E in bar 2 could well be sung natural. Indeed, musical
logic requires many more E flats than are marked in the manuscript.

In the notes below the order within each entry is: 1) bar number; 2) voice; 3) reading of the source. Pitches are in
capital letters, preceded by a number where necessary, e.g. 1C = first note C in the bar. Note values are abbreviated
in italics: l = long, b = breve, sb = semibreve.

Staff Signatures
23 Ct new line in source with staff signature  for upper B (affecting Es in the edition) begins with A (and thus to
end) / 32 T new line in source with  for B (affecting Es in the edition) begins with 1D /

Underlay and Ligatures

The underlay of the intonation is not precise in the source. The reading in the edition is that of the printed
processionals / 3–4 B glorio- undivided below DCBAGF / 10 T ligature is sb sb ,‘2’ omitted below second note
of ligature / 19 T ligature for DF is sb sb, ‘2’ omitted below 2F / 19–20 T signum undivided below 2DFDC, per
below G / 19–20 B ligature is b l with 2 below second note /

Other Readings

1–2 Ct The signum congruentiae cross-references the end of the antiphon

where the reading in the edition is given as far as the C in 2. There is no explanation for these alternative readings,
but presumably the reading at the end (and in the edition) is Cooper’s original version / 34 T 2G is b / 39 B F is G /