A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Certon, Pierre

by George Grove

CERTON, Pierre, a French musician of the first half of the 16th century; master of the choir at the Saint Chapelle, Paris; mentioned by Rabelais in the Nouveau prologue to the 2nd book of Pantagruel. A list of his works is given by Fétis. They include 31 Psalms (1546); another collection of the same (1552); 3 Masses (1558); 1 Mass (1558); 1 Requiem. A Magnificat of his is found in a collection of 8 (Canticum B. M. Virginis etc. 1559), and many of his motets are included in the collections of Attaignant (1533–49) [App. p.584 "1527–36"], Susato (Antwerp, 1543–50) [App. p.584 "1543–60"], Phalése (Louvain, 1558), and Cipriani (Venice, 1544). In the 'Collection of Ancient Church Music printed by the Motet Society' (1843), a piece by Certon is given for 2 trebles and tenor, to English words, which is very melodious and graceful, and with a marked character of its own.

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