If Ye Love Me & A New Commandment - Thomas Tallis

Robert Shaw Festival Singers - Robert Shaw

Thomas Tallis (c. 1505 23 November 1585) was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English musicianship.

Little is known about Tallis's early life, but there seems to be agreement that he was born in the early 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 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 Church of England, Edward VI (1547-1553), Queen Mary (1553-1558), and Queen Elizabeth I (1558 until he died in 1585)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Thomas
• Tallis
• english
• renaissance

[rodpepe66]

This is one of the most beautiful songs I´ve ever heard!!!

[ck98198]

I heard a quote once relating to children: Great suffering produces great dreaming. I think that is quite apt considering the brutal climate in which this particular composer was working and the transcendant beauty and clarity he managed to evoke. Tallis was so much more than the sum of his parts or a product of his time; and he will always be the first great English composer and the best reason to revist 16th century English choral music. 

[medusa56068]

Ist das herrlich!

[chispamia]

Is this not one of the most beautiful, peaceful, touching pieces of music you have ever heard?

[awyliu]

@markdavinobenza I don't agree as I think the speed is just right - what is the hurry after all? 

[payrollz1234]

" 'A new commandment give I unto you', saith the Lord, 'that ye love together, as I have loved you, that e'en so ye love one another.' " It would seem that some are too busy arguing about the music to listen to it, missing its point completely. We can play critic all we like, but in the end, it serves no more than the ego to bicker back and forth about it. Perhaps it would be more suitable to take in the words of the music, and the meaning behind them :)

[variasveces]

One of the most perfect performances, of one of the most perfect pieces ever written in four-part harmony . . .

[kotetsu131]

@bartje11 Ugh....go ahead and shave one more slice off of my faith in humanity. American, really?! This is probably the most traditionally English-sounding recording of this work I've heard with maybe the exception of the Hilliard ensemble being ultra-historically informed. And what the hell does BLENDY mean!? Maybe he'd be happy if the mics were like a 10cm away from their mouths and they recorded it in the deadest room I can find it wouldn't be "blendy". It would just be atrocious....

[singinsooie]

Our choir sang this earlier this year.... It is a blessing to sing it and to hear it done so beautifully by this most excellent choir.

[kotetsu131]

@bartje11 Indeed! Granted usually you didn't want to start shit anyway...it wasn't really popular to do it. I mean Tallis had it pretty good hanging out in Henry's court and thus it was a good idea to write music within people's comfort zones.... 

[ezvan777]

wow :-O

I cried :"-)

BEAUTIFUL, EXCELLENT..... HEAVENLY