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In 1575 'Thomas 'Tallis then an 'aged man', and his pupil and friend William Byrd, who was in his mid to late 30s, paid tribute to Elizabeth 1 by selecting 17 motets each for their Cantiones Sacrae ('Sacred Songs'), the first major printed collection of music to be published in England.
Many of these works have since become staple in the repertoire of church and chamber choirs throughout the world.
This is the first recording to present the Cantiones in their entirety, by the same group of singers, and in the composers' original order of publication.
Thomas Tallis: Salvator mundi
Salvator mundi: Salvator mundi I
Thomas Tallis: Absterge Domine
Absterge Domine
Thomas Tallis: In manus tuas
In manus tuas
William Byrd: Emendemus in melius
Emendemus in melius
William Byrd: Libera me, Domine, et pone me juxta te
Libera me, Domine, et pone me juxta te
William Byrd: Peccantem me quotidie
Peccantem me quotidie
Thomas Tallis: Mihi autem nimis
Mihi autem nimis
Thomas Tallis: O nata lux de lumine
O nata lux de lumine
Thomas Tallis: O sacrum convivium
O sacrum convivium
William Byrd: Aspice, Domine, quia facta est desolata civitas
Aspice, Domine, quia facta est desolata civitas
William Byrd: Attollite portas
Attollite portas
William Byrd: O lux, beata Trinitas
O lux, beata Trinitas
Thomas Tallis: Derelinquit impius
Derelinquit impius
Thomas Tallis: Dum transisset Sabbatum
Dum transisset Sabbatum
Thomas Tallis: Honor virtus et potestas
Honor virtus et potestas
Thomas Tallis: Sermone blando angelus …
Sermone blando angelus …
William Byrd: Laudate, pueri, Dominum
Laudate, pueri, Dominum
William Byrd: Memento, homo
Memento, homo
William Byrd: Siderum rector
Siderum rector
Thomas Tallis: Te lucis ante terminum (festal)
Te lucis ante terminum (festal)
Thomas Tallis: Te lucis ante terminum (ferial)
Te lucis ante terminum (ferial)
Salvator mundi
Salvator mundi: Salvator mundi II
Thomas Tallis: Candidi facti sunt Nazarei
Candidi facti sunt Nazarei
William Byrd: Da mihi auxilium
Da mihi auxilium
William Byrd: Domine, secundum actum meum
Domine, secundum actum meum
William Byrd: Diliges Dominum
Diliges Dominum
Thomas Tallis: In jejunio et fletu
In jejunio et fletu
Thomas Tallis: Suscipe quaeso Domine - Si enim iniquitates
Suscipe quaeso Domine - Si enim iniquitates
William Byrd: Miserere mihi, Domine
Miserere mihi, Domine
William Byrd: Tribue, Domine
Tribue, Domine
William Byrd: Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna
Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna
Thomas Tallis: Miserere nostri
Miserere nostri
30th January 2011
****
“Contrasts abound: Byrd’s florid three-section Tribue Domine is almost Marian in its vastness, while Tallis’s hymn setting O nata lux de lumine is brevity itself...The dozen singers perform expressively and blend beautifully throughout, while Skinner, who adopts a commonsense approach to pitch standards, injects passion into every note.”
March 2011
“They use solo voices throughout, mixed voices with a fairly open sound that brings with it more vibrato than we are used to hearing in such music nowadays...That results in performances that are refreshingly free of self-indulgence. Some of the big Byrd pieces in particular are very good indeed.”
March 2011
****
“The prevailing mood is penitential, but the pieces are never dull; there's much delight to be had in listening to the way the individual voice parts weave in and out...Skinner gets his singers to bring [the false relations] out so that they send shivers down your spine...[He] shapes the music extremely well.”
March 2011
***
“Homophonic passages impress with their splendour, enriched here by the chestnut hues of basses William Gaunt and Robert Macdonald. The clarity of line lays bare the ingenuity of counterpoint, no matter how thick the texture becomes - a formidable achievement in Byrd's 'double imitation' motets.”
May 2011
“This is the first time the Cantiones Sacrae has been recorded complete and 'in the original order intended by the composers themselves'...An auspicious beginning to a mighty undertaking.”
Click on any of the works listed above for alternative recordings.
Salvator mundi: Salvator mundi I
