On Compositional Process and the Missa Prolacionum

This article considers the compositional challenges that Johannes Ockeghem faced in devising and composing the Missa Prolacionum, with specific reference to the 'Et resurrexit' of the Credo, technically the cycle's most ambitious section. From am observation of a passage situated at the section's midpoint and thematic consequences arising from it, a hypothesis is formulated concerning the composer's method of working out this section, leading to conclusions that challenge some of the prevailing views of the aesthetics of his musical style. .