Vigilate (William Byrd)

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• (Posted 2025-12-17)  CPDL #87797:     

Editor: Andrew Hathaway (submitted 2025-12-17).   Score information: Letter, 12 pages, 174 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Note values halved, transposed up m3 (F Minor).

• (Posted 2024-02-23)  CPDL #79244:       

Editor: David Masao Zimmerman (submitted 2024-02-23).   Score information: Letter, 14 pages, 314 kB   Copyright: CC BY

Edition notes: Modern notation (time signature, barlines, etc.) with original note values. Up one whole step for SATBarB. Includes keyboard reduction.

• (Posted 2023-11-19)  CPDL #77446:       

Editor: James Wetzel (submitted 2023-11-19).   Score information: Letter, 15 pages, 116 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Transposition and reformatting of #03938, with slight alteration to text underlay.

• (Posted 2020-02-10)  CPDL #56999:        (LilyPond)

Editor: Allen Garvin (submitted 2020-02-10).   Score information: Letter, 6 pages, 127 kB   Copyright: CC BY NC

Edition notes:

• (Posted 2002-08-17)  CPDL #03938:        (Sibelius 5)

Editor: David Fraser (submitted 2002-08-17).   Score information: A4, 9 pages, 279 kB    Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Revised Jan 17 (errors corrected).

General Information

Title: Vigilate
Composer: William Byrd

Number of voices: 5vv   Voicing: ATTBB
Genre: Sacred, Motet

Language: Latin
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1589 in Cantiones Sacrae I, no. 16
Description: 

External websites:

• Free choir training aids for this work are available at Choralia.
• Performance by The Tallis Scholars

Original text and translations

Latin text Vigilate, nescitis enim quando dominus domus veniat, sero, an media nocte, an gallicantu, an mane. Vigilate ergo, ne cum venerit repente, inveniat vos dormientes. Quod autem dico vobis, omnibus dico: vigilate. (Mark 13: 35-37)

English translation Watch ye therefore (for you know not when the lord of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning): Watch therefore, lest coming on a sudden, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch.

Spanish translation Vigilad, porque no sabéis cuándo el Señor de la casa vendrá: si a la tarde, o a la media noche, o al canto del gallo, o a la mañana. Vigilad pues, para que cuando viniere de repente no os halle durmiendo. Así que lo que os digo a vosotros lo digo a todos: Vigilad.

German translation (Markus 13:35–37; Martin Luther 1912) So wachet nun (denn ihr wißt nicht, wann der Herr des Hauses kommt, ob er kommt am Abend oder zu Mitternacht oder um den Hahnenschrei oder des Morgens), auf daß er nicht schnell komme und finde euch schlafend. Was ich aber euch sage, das sage ich allen: Wachet!