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Donald Macleod introduces the music of Thomas Tallis, who served under four monarchs at the Chapel Royal during the political and religious turbulence of the 16th century.

Donald Macleod traces Tallis's career under Elizabeth I, who granted Tallis and his colleague Byrd a licence to publish the first ever collection of English music, the Cantiones Sacrae. (They hoped to make a fortune, but the venture was a financial disaster and it wasn't long before they were petitioning their benevolent queen for a bit of cash to tide them over.) We hear some of the pieces which were included in the collection and Byrd's musical elegy for his lifelong friend. Plus there's Tallis's beautiful Lamentations of Jeremiah and two settings of the Magnificat, which make quite clear the range of styles he was expected to master.

1 hour

Last on

Fri 1 Oct 2010 22:00

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Music Played

  • Thomas Tallis

    God grant with grace

    Performer: Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier

    • HARMONIA MUNDI 90154.
  • Thomas Tallis

    Why fum'th in fight?

    Performer: Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier

    • HARMONIA MUNDI 90154.
  • Thomas Tallis

    Lamentations of Jeremiah I

    Performer: Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips

    • GIMMELL CDGIM025.
  • Thomas Tallis

    Salvator mundi

    Performer: Magnificat, Philip Cave

    • LINN CKD075.
  • William Byrd

    Ye sacred muses

    Performer: Stephen Taylor (counter-tenor), Charivari Agréable

    • BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93612.
  • Thomas Tallis

    In ieiunio in fletu

    Performer: Taverner Consort, Taverner Choir, Andrew Parrott

    • EMI CDC7495632.
  • Thomas Tallis

    Magnificat in 5 parts

    Performer: Choir of Westminster Cathedral, Martin Baker

    • HYPERION CDA67522.
  • Thomas Tallis

    Magnificat in 4 parts

    Performer: Chapelle du Roi, Alistair Dixon

    • BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93612.
  • Thomas Tallis

    O sacrum convivium

    Performer: The Sarum Consort, Andrew Mackay

    • ASV CDQS6185.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 1 Oct 2010 12:00
  • Fri 1 Oct 2010 22:00

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