Jacobus Clemens “non Papa” (c.1510/5-1555/6)

Jacobus Clemens “non Papa” was one of the finest composers of the 16th century, being highly regarded in his lifetime and published throughout Europe in a variety of musical styles, both sacred and secular. Yet today he remains a somewhat unknown and underrated figure, known more for his nickname “non Papa” than his music. Little is known about his life (though unusually for a Flemish composer, he seems not to have travelled to Italy) and how he acquired his nickname is also something of a mystery. It has been suggested that it was to distinguish him from Pope Clement VII on account of Clemens’ immoral behaviour. Alternatively, it could have been to differentiate him from Jacobus Papa, a poet active in Ypres. His music stands out from his contemporaries – particularly the slightly older Nicolas Gombert – through his use of sudden changes of texture or harmony, lending it an overall more expressive quality than other Flemish music of the time.

Missa Caro mea –
A(A)TTTB or S(S)ATTB

£18.90 per 10 copies

Ego flos campi –
AATTTBB or SSATTBB

£6.30 per 10 copies

Inclita stirps Jesse –
ATBarB or SATB

£6.30 per 10 copies

Missa Or combien est –
A(A)TBarB or S(S)ATB

£12.60 per 10 copies

Missa Quam pulchra es –
ATBarB(B) or SATB(B)

£18.90 per 10 copies

Vox in Rama –
ATBarB or SATB

£6.30 per 10 copies