musical mondays -tallis, a return to form

Posted on June 30, 2008 by HHaricot | 6 Comments

i adore this early vocal music. i love the harmonies, i love the modulations, and the gentleness and soaring qualities. did you get that i love it? here is the miserere – i had allegri’s earlier for a comparison! [which i love more. somethings are better known because they are better!] with leeds festival chorus, i had the marvelous opportunity of singing spem in alium in rippon cathedral – rather magical! A fantastic bit of elizabethan music. lets not forget vaughn williams fantasia either. anyway, have a wander round the tallis on utube!

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6 responses to “musical mondays -tallis, a return to form”

Em | July 1, 2008 at 09:32 | Reply

We do really share a love for very similar music! I think with early music, the history within it, the echoes of an age gone by, of the millions of people in between that have listened to that very same music over hundreds of years, is what makes it truly special, and makes heart tugging music like the miserere that much more emotional.
Joanna | July 1, 2008 at 21:23 | Reply

I’m beginning to love this stuff too. Got Allegri’s Miserere on CD as one of my Christmas presents last year. Never heard of Tallis before.
HHaricot | July 1, 2008 at 21:43 | Reply

joanna – did you not watch the tudors [which i loved! - but tallis was in there] anyway, yes both of you, i think this music has a timeless yet wistful quality, and never fails to move me.
Michelle | July 1, 2008 at 23:05 | Reply

Should I admit I misread spem in alium? Esp given recent tree pruning post?
Chris | July 6, 2008 at 13:07 | Reply

I got some Tallis as a Christmas present from my boss a couple of years ago. It’s in the car most of the time and I listen to it regularly. I first came across it on some Front Row piece about the Janet Cardiff installation:

http://www.tacomaartmuseum.org/page.aspx?hid=286

Rather beautifully it takes us back to (as mentioned by Tim) Half Man Half Biscuit lyrics from ‘I went to a wedding’.

‘ And then inexplicably
For reasons unfathomable
But to me wholly admirable
The DJ played us some Tallis

He yanked off The Corrs in disgust and announced Thomas Tallis

Lamentations of Jeremiah

Across an empty dancefloor I walked to commend him
And also enquire if he had any Dowland’
HHaricot | July 6, 2008 at 20:04 | Reply

half man half biscuit certainly have an interesting line in lyrics.