Search - Tallis, Winchester Cathedral Choir, Hill :: Spem in Alium

Thomas Tallis was one of the outstanding English composers of his generation; his long life (c. 1505-1585) saw him working under four different monarchs: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I. Like other church musicians of his day, Tallis had to adapt to whatever liturgy--Catholic/Protestant, Latin/English--was required, as monarchs and their prelates came and went. Latin motets inevitably make up a large part of his output, and this collection of 11 includes some of the more notable ones. Outstanding is the famous 40-part Spem in alium, a veritable cathedral in sound, although the occasion for its composition is not known (perhaps the 40th birthday of either Mary or Elizabeth?). Other pieces--such as the Lamentations of Jeremiah--are less monumental, but just as expressive. One or two moments of sluggishness, and the playing-down of characteristic discords detract marginally from what is generally fine singing from the Winchester Cathedral Choir in this 1989 recording, which profits from the building's acoustic. Overall, however, this disc provides a good introduction to the composer and his world. --George Hall