Simon Bar Jona Madelka was a Silesian compo ser active in Bohemia at the end of the 16th century.  He was born in Opole between the years 1530-1550. The first surviving documents we have about his life date only from after 1575, when he moved to Plzen.  Here he became a town councillor and member of the Catholic Literary Fraternity affiliated to St Bartholomew's church.<br>
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Madelka had a sophisticated vocal style which clearly surpassed music production in Bohemia during his time.  The only work by him to have survived in its entirety is Septem psalmi poenitentiales quinque vocibus exornati, which came out in Altdorf in 1586.  The score of these psalms was prepared for publication by Miloslav Klement.  The collection contains the following psalms: Ps. VI. Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me, Ps. XXXII. Beati quorum remissae sunt iniquitates, Ps. XXXVIII. Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me, Ps. LI. Miserere mei, Deus, Ps. CII Domine exaudi orationem meam, Ps. CXXX. De profundis, Ps. CXLIII. Domine exaudi orationem meam, and the closing motet Quomodo confitebor tibi, Domine.<br>