The Renaissance Singers, Tallis - Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter

[Horza1972ex]

Unearthly and utterly beautiful, and some of Tallis's most moving music!

[markdavinobenza]

@Horza1972ex Thanks. yes, one of my favorites:)

[cpthornman]

A very enjoyable performance!! I am a horn player and this would work perfectly for a horn quartet.

[clawpuss2]

Agree wholeheartedly Oakmag. This is a really beautiful performance. Thanks for posting.

[markdavinobenza]

@clawpuss2 Thanks for listening!

[mhdantholz]

I've been hearing " Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter" all my life, but this here is the best by far--- my raggedy command of superlatives leaves me bereft of words of praise high enough for you. There has to be a God, otherwise whence this blessed sound ???

[Gonnakillyou]

That should be boy voices. :'(

[AnAmericanComposer]

Thomas Tallis was most definitely a servant of God.

[oakmag]

Thank you for providing this wonderful concert. At 1:38 minutes into the video, I finally heard the Tallis piece upon which Vaughan-Williams based a portion of his gorgeous "Fantasia on Thomas Tallis." I've wondered for 30 years about the specific source, but didn't find it until a recent tribute to V-W on National Public Radio. Your video enables us to hear and see what inspired this great 20th work. Bravo!

[markdavinobenza]

Thanks so much for listening.

Yes, that melody is quite beautiful.

[markdavinobenza]

Thanks for listening, and for your very generous comments. I'm glad you liked it, we will continue to upload live clips as we get them. Cheers! Mark

[ChesterEldar]

I like it, simply.

[rogerdearborn]

I think it's terrific. I really appreciate the uniformity of vowells by the group and don't have a problem with the "certain" soprano. Sometimes british sopranos get either engorged with chewing on the words too much or warbling...so I found this to be a pleasant compromise. As far as the diction argument goes...in 15th/16th century Britain, the Latin was arguably pronounced with a germanic approach to certain consonants like the "c" and "t", it has naturally changed as dialects tend to do.

[lisaannejane2]

LOVE it - just added to my "favorites' list!

[caniphobia]

very good thanks for posting, its nice to see where vaughn williams got his theme from and it shows how amazing both tallis and williams were.

[markdavinobenza]

Thanks for listening!

[youlllaughyoullcry]

A good rendition of some very fine music. But please be aware that a severe American accent comes through (one of the sopranos is particularly guilty). I suppose this is less a problem for an American audience, but to an Australian, like myself, or a Brit, hearty, bragst and grant Americanised sounds quite amateur.

[markdavinobenza]

Thanks for listening. I don't really enforce that pure vowel business, I think it sounds weird. I like how the singers say the words in this piece, nice and normal. What makes that amateur?

[skij13]

not really sure what could make that "amateur". I think a choral group of Americans putting on faux British accents would make it much more amateur. Plus, it's not like Archbishop Parker spoke with a modern British received pronunciation accent in the 16th century ...

[zstadt]

So, would you also recommend singing Schubert Lieder with an American accent? or an aria from Don Giovanni?

Stylistic accuracy is a pinnacle of performance in the world of musicians, especially the diction of foreign languages in vocal music. In this case, the English dialect demanded by the performance of these Tallis pieces IS more or less a foreign language, and should be treated as such.

[CaptainAhorn]

Dialects vary within England even today -- something that would have been even more pronounced in the 16th Century. I also suspect 16th Century English pronunciation is not 21st Century English Pronunciation.

Saying that there is only one correct way to perform this piece is spurious.

[cogidubnus1953]

I could not agree more... certain American accents/pronunciations are probably far closer to 15th/16th century English than 21st century UK estuary! This group do not sound in the least alien to my (British) ears...

[danrob10]

Smashing

[markdavinobenza]

Thanks for listening!

[prysmith37]

George Steel, the new director of The Dallas Opera, has written a stunning Mass based on Tallis's Third Mode Melody. It is deeply spiritual and richly poignant.

[markdavinobenza]

Thanks for listening. Will it make it to youtube? It is indeed a nice melody.

[Motetftw]

First, I'd like to comment on CaptainAhorn's posted comment: The original tunes written by Tallis are easily accessible at most cd stores and is also availabe on iTunes. Now, back to what i wanted to say: Psalm Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter is by far one of my favorite renaissance pieces composed by Tallis. This is a very good ensemble performance and is also good stylistically. However, be careful of intonation particularly in the third tune (phrygian is a tricky mode).

[markdavinobenza]

Thanks for your comment.

I disagree with you about the intonation in the third tune. I think what you heard was a tenor entering on the wrong note. Also, I don't quite buy the argument that "some modes are trickier that others." Because one mode could easily be conceived as another. Just like major and minor. Its all about how mentally align your pitch center.

[woyahfan]

This is really nice, good music good singing.

[markdavinobenza]

Thank You very much for listening!

[markdavinobenza]

You are very welcome! I'm glad you both like it!

[cogidubnus1953]

Glorious....thank you for posting...

[CaptainAhorn]

Many people are familiar with Ralph Vaughn Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis but the original seems to be rarely heard and hard to find on CD.

I don't believe I've heard any of the other associated tunes besides "God grant me grace..."

Fantastic job!