1514 - 1572 Person Name: Claude Goudimel, ca. 1505-1572 Topics: Biblical Names and Places Abraham; Biblical Names and Places Jacob; Church Year Ascension of the Lord; Church Year Baptism of the Lord; Church Year Christ the King; Church Year Pentecost; Earth; Elements of Worship Call to Worship; Elements of Worship Praise and Adoration; Enemies; Enthronement Psalms; God Trust in; God as Shield; God as King; God's Reigning; God's Sovereignty; God's Armor; God's Strength; Hymns of Praise; Jesus Christ Incarnation; Joy; Mercy; Mission; Music and Musicians; Musical Instruments; Occasional Services Commissioning; People of God / Church Witnessing; Rejoicing; Rulers; Suffering; The Incarnation; Worship; Year A, B, C, Easter, Ascension of the Lord, Ascention Day (Thursday or 7th Sunday of Easter) Harmonizer of "GENEVAN 47" in Psalms for All Seasons The music of Claude Goudimel (b. Besançon, France, c. 1505; d. Lyons, France, 1572) was first published in Paris, and by 1551 he was composing harmonizations for some Genevan psalm tunes-initially for use by both Roman Catholics and Protestants. He became a Calvinist in 1557 while living in the Huguenot community in Metz. When the complete Genevan Psalter with its unison melodies was published in 1562, Goudimel began to compose various polyphonic settings of all the Genevan tunes. He actually composed three complete harmonizations of the Genevan Psalter, usually with the tune in the tenor part: simple hymn-style settings (1564), slightly more complicated harmonizations (1565), and quite elaborate, motet-like settings (1565-1566). The various Goudimel settings became popular throughout Calvinist Europe, both for domestic singing and later for use as organ harmonizations in church. Goudimel was one of the victims of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of Huguenots, which occurred throughout France.
Bert Polman
Claude Goudimel