Sacred Music: Thomas Tallis 1505?-1585

Spem in Alium / Videte Miraculum / Lamentations of Jeremiah / Eight Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter


Thomas Tallis was arguably the most versatile composer before Stravinsky, and one of the most prodigiously gifted of any age. This concert reflected the diversity of musical styles encompassed by Tallis's religious works; from the simple writing of the Eight Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter to the complexity of Salve intemerata virgo; from the plainsong organ hymn Ecce tempus to the massive polyphonic canvas of the 40-part motet Spem in alium; from the austere minature Hear the voice and prayer for men's voices to the radiant and sonorous Videte miraculum. Although diverse in style, together these works give evidence that Tallis's mastery as a composer of sacred music encompassed virtually every idiom of the time.

This performance was part of the 1992 New Zealand International Festival of the Arts

Download poster for this performance (JPEG image, 172 Kb)
Read The Dominion's review of this performance (JPEG image, 114 Kb)
Download texts and translations for this performance (Microsoft Word document, 41 Kb)
Download pre-concert talk for this performance (Microsoft Word document, 48 Kb)

Programme

    Miserere nostri
    O nata lux
    Suscipe, quaeso Domine

    Salve intemerata Virgo

    Ecce tempus idoneum
    Hear the voice and prayer

    Videte miraculum

    Lamentations of Jeremiah I

    Spem in alium

    Eight Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter

8pm*, Tuesday 10 March 1992
Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
Molesworth Street, Wellington
$20 / $15
* pre-concert talk at 7.30pm

dir. Simon Ravens

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