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Thomas Tallis

Thomas Tallis (c. 1505 – 23 November 1585) was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician during the often stormy 16th century in England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of its earliest composers. Tallis has been said to be one of the most important composers of his time and is honored for his original voice in English musicianship (Farrell 125). Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... 1505 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1585 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ...

Early life

Little is known about his early life, but there seems to be agreement that he was born around 16th century, toward the close of the reign of Henry VII. His first known appointment to a musical position was as organist of Dover Priory in 1530-31, a Benedictine priory at Dover (now Dover College) in 1532. His career took him to London, then (probably in the autumn of 1538) to the Augustinian abbey of Holy Cross at Waltham whose London resisdence stood nearby, until the abbey was dissolved in 1540; then he went to Canterbury Cathedral, and finally to Court as Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1543, composing and performing for Henry VIII during which he wrote music for the Protestant Church of England (Holman 201), Edward VI (1547-1553), Queen Mary (1553-1558), and Queen Elizabeth I (1558 until he died in 1585) (Thomas 136). Throughout his service to successive monarchs as organist and composer, Tallis avoided the religious controversies that raged around him. Henry VII (January 28, 1457 – April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 – April 21, 1509), born Henry Tudor was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ... The Priory of St. ... For the college, see Benedictine College. ... A priory is an ecclesiastical circumscription run by a prior. ... , Dover is a major channel port in the English county of Kent. ... // Dover College is a co-educational public school in Dover, Kent, England. ... Events May 16 - Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Events Treaty of Nagyvarad. ... The Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo (died AD 430), are several Roman Catholic monastic orders and congregations of both men and women living according to a guide to religious life known as the Rule of Saint Augustine. ... // Holy Cross or Saint Cross may refer to: Christian cross, a frequently used religious symbol of Christianity Feast of the Cross, a commemoration most often celebrated on September 14 Holy Cross may also refer to: A number of Holy Cross Schools A number of Holy Cross Colleges A number of... Waltham may refer to: In Canada: Waltham, Quebec In England: Bishops Waltham, Hampshire London Borough of Waltham Forest including Walthamstow that includes Walthamstow Village Waltham, Kent Waltham, Lincolnshire New Waltham is nearby Waltham Abbey, Essex, the town taking its name from Waltham Abbey (abbey) Waltham Bury, Essex Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire... For other uses of the term dissolution see Dissolution. ... Year 1540 was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Canterbury Cathedral is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site. ... The Chapel Royal did not originally refer to a building but an establishment in the Royal Household. ... // Events February 21 - Battle of Wayna Daga - A combined army of Ethiopian and Portuguese troops defeat the armies of Adal led by Ahmed Gragn. ... Henry VIII redirects here. ... Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) became King of England, King of France (in practice only the town and surrounding district of Calais) and Edward I of Ireland on 28 January 1547, and crowned on 20 February, at just nine years of age. ... Year 1547 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... // Events June 26 - Christs Hospital in London gets a Royal Charter July 6 - Edward VI of England dies July 10 - Lady Jane Grey is proclaimed Queen of England - for the next nine days July 18 - Lord Mayor of London proclaims Queen Mary as the rightful Queen - Lady Jane Grey... Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 (de facto) or 19 July 1553 (de jure) until her death on 17 November 1558. ... // Events June 26 - Christs Hospital in London gets a Royal Charter July 6 - Edward VI of England dies July 10 - Lady Jane Grey is proclaimed Queen of England - for the next nine days July 18 - Lord Mayor of London proclaims Queen Mary as the rightful Queen - Lady Jane Grey... January 7 - French troops led by Francis, Duke of Guise take Calais, the last continental possession of the Kingdom of England July 13 - Battle of Gravelines: In France, Spanish forces led by Count Lamoral of Egmont defeat the French forces of Marshal Paul des Thermes at Gravelines. ... This article is about Elizabeth I of England. ... January 7 - French troops led by Francis, Duke of Guise take Calais, the last continental possession of the Kingdom of England July 13 - Battle of Gravelines: In France, Spanish forces led by Count Lamoral of Egmont defeat the French forces of Marshal Paul des Thermes at Gravelines. ... 1585 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. ...

Tallis married around 1552; his wife, Joan, outlived him by four years. They apparently had no children. Late in his life he lived in Greenwich, likely close to the royal palace: a local tradition holds that he lived on Stockwell Street.^[1]

Early works

The earliest works, three pieces in particular, by Tallis that survive are devotional antiphons to the Virgin Mary, which were used outside the liturgy and were cultivated in England until the fall of Cardinal Wolsey. Henry VIII's break with Roman Catholicism in 1534 and the rise of Thomas Cranmer noticeably influenced the style of music written. Texts became largely confined to the liturgy. The writing of Tallis and his contemporaries became less florid. Tallis's Mass for four voices is marked with tendencies toward a syllabic and chordal style and a diminished use of melisma. Tallis provides a rhythmic variety and differentiation of moods depending on the meaning of his texts (Manderson 86). Tallis helped found a relationship that was specific to the combining of words and music (Phillips 11). The term Virgin Mary has several different meanings: Mary, the mother of Jesus, the historical and multi-denominational concept of Mary Blessed Virgin Mary, the Roman Catholic theological and doctrinal concept of Mary Marian apparitions shrines to the Virgin Mary Virgin Mary in Islam, the Islamic theological and doctrinal concept... Cardinal Thomas Wolsey (c. ... Henry VIII redirects here. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... 1534 (MDXXXIV) was a common year in the 16th century. ... Thomas Cranmer (July 2, 1489 – March 21, 1556) was the Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of the English kings Henry VIII and Edward VI. He is credited with writing and compiling the first two Books of Common Prayer which established the basic structure of Anglican liturgy for centuries and... This article discusses the unit of speech. ... A cycle (black) with two chords (green). ... In music, melisma (commonly known as vocal runs or simply runs) is the technique of changing the note (pitch) of a syllable of text while it is being sung. ...

The reformed Anglican liturgy was inaugurated during the short reign of Edward VI (1547-1553), and Tallis was one of the first church musicians to write anthems set to English words, although Latin continued to be used. The Catholic Mary Tudor set about undoing the religious reforms of the preceding decades. Following the accession of the Catholic Mary in 1553, the Roman Rite was restored and compositional style reverted to the elaborate writing prevalent early in the century. Two of Tallis's major works, Gaude gloriosa Dei Mater and the Christmas Mass Puer natus est nobis are believed to be from this period. Only Puer natus est can be accurately dated in 1554. As was the prevailing practice, these pieces were intended to exalt the image of the Queen as well as to praise the Mother of God. For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Latin Rite, in the singular and accompanied, in English, by the definite article, refers to the sui juris particular Church of the Roman Catholic Church that developed in the area of western Europe and northern Africa where Latin was for many centuries the language of education and culture. ... Cleopatra is one of the most well-known queens regnant A queen regnant (plural queens regnant) is a woman monarch possessing and exercising all of the monarchal powers of a king, in contrast with a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king, and in and of her... Russian Orthodox Icon of the Theotokos Theotokos is a Greek word that means God-bearer or Mother of God. It is a title assigned by the early Christian Church to Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus in 431. ...

Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister in 1558, and the Act of Settlement in the following year abolished the Roman Liturgy and firmly established the Book of Common Prayer. Composers at court resumed writing English anthems, although the practice of setting Latin texts continued, growing more peripheral over time. January 7 - French troops led by Francis, Duke of Guise take Calais, the last continental possession of the Kingdom of England July 13 - Battle of Gravelines: In France, Spanish forces led by Count Lamoral of Egmont defeat the French forces of Marshal Paul des Thermes at Gravelines. ... The Act of Settlement (12 & 13 Wm 3 c. ... For the novel, see A Book of Common Prayer. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ...

The mood of the country in the beginning of Elizabeth's reign leant toward the puritan, which discouraged the liturgical polyphony. Tallis wrote nine psalm chant tunes for four voices for Archbishop Parker's Psalter, published in 1567. One of the nine tunes, the "Third Mode Melody", inspired the composition of Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1910(Steinberg 291). Fantasia is scored only for a string orchestra and it only takes one quarter of time in performance (Steinberg 291). It was first introduced at the Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester Cathedral (Steinberg 291). Tallis's better-known works from the Elizabethan years include his settings of the Lamentations (of Jeremiah the Prophet) (Thomas 136) for the Holy Week services and the unique motet Spem in alium written for eight five-voice choirs (Barber 34). It is thought that this 40-voice piece was part of a celebration of the Queen's 40th birthday in 1573. Tallis is mostly remembered for his role in composing office hymns and this motet, Spem in alium (Cohn-Sherbok 285). Polyphony is a musical texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony). ... Matthew Parker Matthew Parker (August 6, 1504 - May 17, 1575) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559. ... Events The Duke of Alva arrives in the Netherlands with Spanish forces to suppress unrest there. ... Also known as the The Fantasia was one of the first major successes of British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. ... A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet have been set by various composers. ... Spem in alium is a forty-part motet by Thomas Tallis, composed circa 1570 for eight choirs of five voices each. ... Year 1573 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ...

Later works

Toward the end of his life, Tallis resisted the musical development seen in his younger contemporaries such as William Byrd, who embraced compositional complexity and adopted texts built by combining disparate biblical extracts (Lord 69). Tallis' experiments during this time period were considered rather unusual (Phillips 11). Tallis was content to draw his texts from the Liturgy (Farrell 125) and wrote for the worship services in the Chapel Royal (Farrell 125). In 1543, he probably began to serve full time as a member of the Chapel Royal. The Chapel Royal later became a Protestant establishment (Farrell 125). Tallis has been variously claimed to be a Protestant, Catholic, and a religious Pragmatist. Mary granted him a lease on a manor in Kent that provided a comfortable annual income (Holman 24). Elizabeth granted to Tallis and Byrd a twenty-one year monopoly in 1575 for polyphonic music (Holman 1) and a patent to print and publish music, which was one of the first arrangements of that type in the country (Thomas 137). Tallis' monoply covered 'set songe or songes in parts, and he was able to compose in English, Latin, French, Italian, or other tongues as long as they served for music in the Church or chamber (Holman 1). Tallis had exclusive rights to print any music, in any language (Barber 25). He and William Byrd were the only ones allowed to use the paper that was used in printing music ( Barber 25). Tallis and Byrd used their monopoly to produce Cantiones quae ab argumento sacrae vocantur but the piece did not sell well and they appealed to Queen Elizabeth for her support (Holman 1). Tallis and Byrd could work for two opposing religions as long as they did not bring their beliefs into their jobs (Lord 135). He retained respect during a succession of opposing religious movements and deflected the violence that claimed Catholics and Protestants alike (Gatens 181). Tallis endured a difficult period during the time of the church and his music often displays characteristics of the turmoil (Gatens 181). For other uses, see William Byrd (disambiguation). ... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ... The Chapel Royal did not originally refer to a building but an establishment in the Royal Household. ... For other uses, see William Byrd (disambiguation). ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

Thomas Tallis died peacefully in his house in Greenwich in November 1585 on either the 20th or 23rd. and was buried in the chancel of the parish of St Alfege's Church. A couplet from his epitaph reads: For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... 1585 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. ... St. ...

As he did live, so also did he die, In mild and quiet Sort (O! happy Man).

Media

Image File history File links Thomas_Tallis_Lamentations_I_(The_Tudor_Consort). ... The Tudor Consort is a specialist early choral group based in Wellington, New Zealand. ... Image File history File links Tallis_if_ye_love_me_performed_by_the_dwsChorale. ...

See also

• The Tallis Scholars, a modern group of musicians specializing in vocal music from the Renaissance.

British vocal ensemble consisting of normally 10 members. ... This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ...

References

Barber, David W. Bach, Beethoven, and the Boys: Music History As It Ought to Be Taught. Toronto Sound and Vision, 1996.

Barber, David W. If It Ain’t Baroque: More Music History As It Ought to Be Taught. Toronto Sound and Vision, 1992.

Cohn-Sherbok, Lavinia. Who’s Who in Christianity. London, New York Routledge, 1998.

Farrell, Joseph. Latin Language and Latin Culture: From Ancient to Modern Times. New York Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Gatens. “Tallis: Works, all.” American Record Guide 68.3 (May-June 2005): 181.

Holman, Peter. Dowland: Lachrimae (1604); Cambridge Music Handbooks. Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Lord, Suzanne.; Brinkman, David. Music From the Age of Shakespeare: A Cultural History. Westport, Conn Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003.

Manderson, Desmond. Songs Without Music: Aesthetic Dimensions of Law and Justice. University of California Press, 2000.

• Paul Doe/David Allinson: "Thomas Tallis", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 5 May 2007), (subscription access)

Phillips, Peter. “Sign of Contradiction: Tallis at 500.” Musical Times 146 (Summer 2005): 7-15.

Thomas, Jane Resh. Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I. New York Houghton-Muffin Trade and Reference, 1998.

Steinberg, Michael. Choral Masterworks: A Listener’s Guide. New York Oxford Press, 2005.

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Thomas Tallis

• A BBC Radio 3 programme on Tallis and Spem in Alium in particular (use BBC listen again feature)
• Thomas Tallis was listed in the International Music Score Library Project