Thomas Tallis

Life

Born: c.1505

Died: 23 November 1585

Biography

The entry in Cathedral Music, Volume 1 (William Boyce) reads:

Thomas Tallis was Organist of the Royal Chapels to King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. He was esteem'd a most excellent Composer of Church Music, at least equal to any Contemporary, either of his own Country or of Foreign Nations; and was the first who compos'd the Musical Part of our Divine Service in the English Language. He, in conjunction with William Bird, a Musician of great Eminence, who had been his Scholar, obtain'd of Queen Elizabeth, in the Year of our Lord 1575, Letters Patent, by which they claim'd the exclusive Right of printing all Ruled Paper, as well as of all Music Books, for the Term of 21 Years. He died November 23d, 1585, and was buried at Greenwich in Kent. (Greenwich is, in fact, in Greater London.)

On his Grave-Stone is the following Inscription:

Enterred here doth ly a worthy wyght, / Who for long Tyme in musick bore the bell:


His name to shew, was Thomas Tallis hyght,
 / In honest vertuous Lyff he dyd excell.

He ser'd long Tyme in Chappel with grete Prayse, / Fower Sovereygnes Reygnes (a thing not often seen)


I mean King Henry & Prynce Edward's dayes,
 / Queen Mary, & Elizabeth our Quene.

He maryd was, though children had he none, / and lyv'd in Love full thre and thirty yeres


With loyal spouse, whose name yclyipt was Jone, / Who here entomb'd, his Company now bears.

As he did lyve, so also did he dy,
 / In mild & quyet sort (O! happy man)


To God ful oft for mercy did he cry, / Wherefore he lyves, let Death do what he can.

View the Wikipedia article on Thomas Tallis.

• For works at CPDL sorted alphabetically by title, see Thomas Tallis compositions

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List of choral works (automated)

Sacred music in Latin

Absterge Domine Alleluya Audivi vocem Ave Dei Patris Ave Rosa sine spinis Bone pastor Candidi facti sunt Derelinquit impius Domine, quis habitabit Dum transisset Sabbatum Euge caeli porta Evening Service in Latin Gaude gloriosa Dei Mater Hodie nobis caelorum Homo quidam Honor, virtus et potestas Iam Christus astra ascenderat

In jejunio et fletu In manus tuas Domine In pace in idipsum Jesu salvator saeculi Kyrie eleison Lamentations of Jeremiah Laudate Dominum omnes gentes Libera nos Loquebantur variis linguis Magnificat Mass for Four Voices Mass Puer natus Mass Salve intemerata Mihi autem nimis Miserere nostri Nunc dimittis a 5 O nata lux

O sacrum convivium O salutaris hostia (contrafactum of O nata lux) O salutaris hostia Quod chorus vatum Salvator mundi Domine Salvator mundi I Salvator mundi II Salve intemerata Sancte Deus Sermone blando Spem in alium Suscipe quaeso Domine - Si enim iniquitates Te lucis ante terminum (festal tone) Te lucis ante terminum Videte miraculum

Sacred music in English

A. Hymns

Come Holy Ghost, eternal God Expend, O Lord Glory to thee, my God, this night God grant with grace The God of love my Shepherd is

Let God arise Man blest no doubt O come in one O Holy Spirit, Lord of grace Praise the Lord O ye Gentils all

The heavenly Child in stature grows When like the hunted hind Why brag in malice high Why fumeth in sight

B. Other sacred works

Benedictus for equal voices Benedictus in D minor Blessed are those that be undefiled Blessed be thy name Christ rising again Communion service in D minor Discomfit them, O Lord Hear the voice and prayer I call and cry to thee, O Lord If ye love me

Magnificat (fauxbourdon) A new commandment O Lord, give thy Holy Spirit O Lord, in thee is all my trust Out from the deep Out of the deep Preces and Responses Psalm Tunes in Archbishop Parker's Psalter (1567?) Purge me, O Lord, from all my sin Remember not, O Lord God

Short (Dorian) Service Single chant in F major Te Deum in D minor This is my commandment Venite Verily, verily I say unto you When Jesus went into Simon the Pharisee's house Wipe away my sins With all our hearts

Secular works

Fond youth is a bubble Like as the doleful dove

O ye tender babes When shall my sorrowful sighing slake

Partial list of works (manually maintained)

Anthems

Blessed are those that be undefiled Christ rising again Hear the voice and prayer If ye love me

A new commandment O Lord, give thy Holy Spirit O Lord, in thee is all my trust Out from the deep

Purge me, O Lord, from all my sin Remember not, O Lord God This is my commandment (Also attrib. Johnson and Mundy.) Verily, verily I say unto you

Contrafacta

Many are from period sources, including Latin and pre-1650 English texts (not necessarily translations) set to preexisting music. See also Nine Compositions for Archbishop_Parker's Psalter, below.

Arise O Lord and hear (Salvator mundi I; see also With all our hearts) Blessed be thy name (Mihi autem nimis) Discomfit them, O Lord (Absterge Domine) Forgive me, Lord, my sin (Absterge Domine) I call and cry to thee, O Lord (O sacrum convivium) O God, be merciful (Absterge Domine) O praise the Lord (O salutaris hostia) O sacred and holy banquet (O sacrum convivium)

O salutaris hostia (O nata lux) Out of the deep (modern contrafactum of Fond youth is a bubble, also used for Purge me O Lord) Purge me, O Lord, from all my sin (Fond youth is a bubble) Sing and glorify heaven’s high Majesty (Spem in alium) When Jesus went into Simon the Pharisee's house (Salvator mundi II) Wipe away my sins (Absterge Domine) With all our hearts (Salvator mundi I)

Liturgical music

The Dorian Service 1. Venite 2. Te Deum in D minor 3. Benedictus in D minor 4-7. Communion service in D minor (Boyce adds Gloria/Laus tibi, and Kyrie from No. 4.) 4. Responses to Commandments 5. Creed Offertorie after the Creede: "Not every one that sayeth" [spurious] 6. Sanctus 7. Gloria 8. & 9. Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (Dorian)

The Choral Service Preces and Responses (transmitted in 2 versions: '1st Preces' for 5vv & '2nd Preces' for 4vv) Psalm CXIX Wherewith all shall a young man O do well unto thy servant My soul cleaves to the dust Litany O God the Father Other service music Te Deum a 5 'for meanes' Benedictus for equal voices Magnificat (fauxbourdon), arr. Royle Shore

Nine Compositions in Parker's Psalter, 1567 1. Man blest no doubt 86. 86 (C.M.) 2. Let God arise C.M. 3. Why fumeth in sight C.M. The God of love my Shepherd is 4. O come in one 88. 88 (L.M.) 5. When like the hunted hind 66. 86 (S.M.) 6. Expend, O Lord C. M. 7. Why brag in malice high 66. 66

8. God grant with grace L.M. Praise the Lord O ye Gentils all Glory to thee, my God, this night 9. Come Holy Ghost, eternal God C.M. (TALLIS' ORDINAL) O Holy Spirit, Lord of grace The heavenly Child in stature grows

Anglican chants Single chant in B minor Single chant in F major

Choral works not indexed on CPDL

• Procul recedant somnia - see Te lucis ante terminum

 
Click here to search for this composer on CPDL

Publications

• Cantiones quae ab argumento sacrae vocantur (1575), jointly with William Byrd

External links

• Works by Thomas Tallis in the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)