Thomas Tallis

Nationality: English 

 

Born: Kent?, c.1505/1510

Died: Greenwich, November 23 1585

Type of music: Polyphonic music in Latin/English

 

Main works: Two settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, Motets, 20 keyboard pieces

Little is known of Tallis's education. His first significant post was in 1530-1531 where he became the organist of the Benedictine Priory in Dover. In 1538 he joined the choir of Waltham Abbey near London, but it was dissolved in 1540 under the reign of Henry VIII. His name is also listed among the singers of Canterbury Cathedral, where he took up the position of lay clerk.

In 1543 he became a member of the Chapel Royal and from 1572 he shared the position of organist and composer with William Byrd until he died in 1585. In 1575, Queen Elizabeth I granted Tallis and Byrd monopoly for printing music and music paper in England. Their first publication was a collection of 34 motets, 17 by Tallis and 17 by Byrd.

Tallis's work includes an unnamed 4 part Mass, the 5 part Mass 'Salve intmerata', a 7 part mass, 2 settings of the Magnificat and 2 settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah.

Two of his most noteable Latin works, the 7 part 'Miserere nostri' and the 40 part Motet 'Spem in alium' show his great understanding of counterpoint.

Tallis was one of the very first composers to write music for the English Church. He wrote a complete service called 'In the Dorian mode' which consists of morning and evening Canticles and the communion service.

Tallis's work is still popular in the 21^st century. Ralph Vaughan Williams work 'Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis' was based on Tallis's third Psalter Tune.

'As he did live, so also did he die, in mild and quite sort (O! happy man) – Thomas Tallis's epitaph 


Spotify link for the Classical Cafe playlist: 

https://play.spotify.com/user/1146446707/playlist/722kiKqGuaxYnbQqnjifAr