Anchieta, Bone Jesu

The composer Juan de Anchieta (c. 1462-1523) served in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella in one of the most dynamic periods of Spanish history. In 1469, Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452-1516) married Isabella I of Castile (1451-1504), uniting Catholic Spain after 781 years of Muslim rule. They completed the Reconquista, reestablishing Christian rule throughout Spain, and put Spain on a path to being a superpower with a far-flung empire.

And, as we all learned in grade school, they also funded the expedition of Christopher Columbus to the New World in 1492.

Anchieta was born to a noble family in the Basque town of Azpietia. He became chaplain and cantor to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1489. The son of Ferdinand and Isabella, Don Juan (1478-1497), was very fond a singing, and he would often spend the siesta time singing with Anchieta and four or five choirboys. Anchieta was appointed maestro di capilla to Juan in 1493. He returned to the service of Isabella in 1497 when the boy died. On the death of Isabella in 1504, he entered the service of Juan’s younger sister, Joanna the Mad (1479-1555). Joanna’s younger sister was Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), the first wife of Henry VIII.

Anchieta typically based his masses on Gregorian melodies. His polyphony is generally considered “free polyphony” which makes only sparing use of imitation.

O bone Jesu is a four-voice sacred (Latin) motet. The text and English translation: