Thomas Tallis - The lamentations of Jeremiah

Thomas Tallis (c. 1505 - 1585):
THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH

Thomas Tallis was an English organist and composer whose career spanned the reigns of four monarchs and a long period of religious change. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers.

This is part one of his 'lamentations of Jeremiah', which sets to music the two first verses of Chapter 1.

Incipit lamentatio Ieremiae prophetae.

ALEPH. Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo! Facta est quasi vidua domina gentium; princeps provinciarum facta est sub tributo.

BETH. Plorans ploravit in nocte, et lacrimæ ejus in maxillis ejus: non est qui consoletur eam, ex omnibus caris ejus; omnes amici ejus spreverunt eam, et facti sunt ei inimici.

Ierusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.

Here begind the lamentation of Jeremiah the prophet.

ALEPH. How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the cities has become a vassal.

BETH. She weeps bitterly in the night, tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies.

Jerusalem, turn again to the Lord your God.

The Sixteen Choir
Directed by Harry Christophers

Category:

Music

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• stigekalder

[Gallahaut]

At 5:02 the basses have a D, but they're singing an E, right? :P

[stigekalder]

@Gallahaut

Yes you're right. And D would sound terrible. Must be an error in the score. Is possible as I did not make it myself ;-) Thanks for pointing that out, have a happy new year !

[amatorynumber]

tallis can be sublime, but isn't he a bit boring here? I remember singing this once and we were so bored of the same dull harmoies we could fall asleep in the stalls. This version is, I think, a third up? it doesn't harm it... mighty low notes for the basses, we sung it as written... AATTB, I think... even more boring! :-D

[stigekalder]

@amatorynumber

If this piece bored you, there is only the choir or the conductor or both to blame, not the composer... Agree that the same basic mood is consistent all thru the piece, but considering the text that can be justified. Think that the change to homophonic towards the end (Jerusalem, convertere...) makes a strong impression; also the incredible modulation to G# in the last bar I will never forget. Documents that Jerusalem finally did convert.....

Best wishes, Niels

[Horza1972ex]

How can anyone call this boring? It's one of the most beautiful choral works in existence.

[Malloyism]

I think the GeeGees should have recorded this. It could easily have transposed to three voices in harmony. Tho they could have had trouble with the latin.

[ComplexArray]

Thx for the upload

PS the visual fade at the end was quite striking to me too : )

[mrhearse777]

Wonderful stuff. If you went to sleep in this , or singing anything , then may I suggest that you take more water with it , or just drink less !

[thomasythan]

I sang this a few times, behind the cross during the Good Friday service, as the congregation would approach for veneration and prayer. Put the music in the proper setting and it's far from boring. It's unusual to see an outpouring of emotion from English (mostly) middle class people, but this did it!

In my opinion, it works better with all men's voices, e.g. ATTBB. The boys tend to sound to soft. The version here is also a bit weak on the middle part, which is probably the most interesting.

[ernent]

Admirers of the lamentations may be interested to know that since most of the books of the Bible do not have their own names in the original Hebrew, they are called by the their first word

so this book is called in Hebrew "How" - "Eicha" (or The scroll of How, since it is usually read from a scroll).

Btw the word "eicha" begins also withe the letter "Aleph" despite the spelling differences in English - obviously it is the same consonant.

[Malloyism]

@Horza1972ex if your singing Tallis all the time then one can be forgiven for nodding off in the ranks.

[Taenyr]

@molealto Wait, so is this SATTB, or SAATB, then?

[molealto]

Yup, I reckon a 3rd up.

[Horza1972ex]

Almost equally lovely is the great Ave, Dei Patris Filia.