Episode 5
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.
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Music Played
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Thomas Tallis
God grant with grace
Performer: Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier
- HARMONIA MUNDI 90154.
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Thomas Tallis
Why fum'th in fight?
Performer: Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier
- HARMONIA MUNDI 90154.
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Thomas Tallis
Lamentations of Jeremiah I
Performer: Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips
- GIMMELL CDGIM025.
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Thomas Tallis
Salvator mundi
Performer: Magnificat, Philip Cave
- LINN CKD075.
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William Byrd
Ye sacred muses
Performer: Stephen Taylor (counter-tenor), Charivari Agréable
- BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93612.
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Thomas Tallis
In ieiunio in fletu
Performer: Taverner Consort, Taverner Choir, Andrew Parrott
- EMI CDC7495632.
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Thomas Tallis
Magnificat in 5 parts
Performer: Choir of Westminster Cathedral, Martin Baker
- HYPERION CDA67522.
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Thomas Tallis
Magnificat in 4 parts
Performer: Chapelle du Roi, Alistair Dixon
- BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93612.
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Thomas Tallis
O sacrum convivium
Performer: The Sarum Consort, Andrew Mackay
- ASV CDQS6185.
Broadcasts
- Fri 1 Oct 201012:00BBC Radio 3
- Fri 1 Oct 201022:00BBC Radio 3
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