Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Henry Viii's Chapel Royal | 20230215 | Donald MacLeod explores Tallis's time in Henry VIII's Chapel Royal, during a period of further change in church practice and liturgy in England. `So great a musician are you.....that if the Fates carried you off.....music would be mute.` So wrote a contemporary of Thomas Tallis, showing us just how highly this composer was regarded in his own time. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod traces the career of Tallis, unquestionably one of England's greatest ever composers. We follow him from the early faint mentions of the composer in Dover Priory, to his 40-plus years serving four successive monarchs as part of the Chapel Royal, and through the upheaval of one of the most tumultuous periods in all of English history. In Wednesday's episode, Donald explores Tallis's time in Henry VIII's Chapel Royal, during a period of further change for church practise and liturgy in England. Tallis also saw the plague come to London during this time, and accompanied Henry to his palaces up and down river to help provide music for the King. Magnificat for 5 voices Choir of York Minster Robert Sharpe, director 5 part Litany Alamire David Skinner, director Sancte Deus Tenebrae Nigel Short, director Hodie nobis caelorum Taverner Choir Andrew Parrott, director Videte Miraculum for Vespers on Purification of Virgin Mary Gabrieli Paul McCreesh, director Remember not, O Lord God Chapelle du Roi Alistair Dixon, director Donald MacLeod explores Tallis's time in Henry VIII's Chapel Royal. | |
| 2023 | 01 | All Roads Lead To London | 20230213 | Fairly early in his career, we find Thomas Tallis working in London. Donald Macleod explores the circumstances that led him to the city. `So great a musician are you.....that if the Fates carried you off.....music would be mute.` So wrote a contemporary of Thomas Tallis, showing us just how highly this composer was regarded in his own time. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod traces the career of Tallis, unquestionably one of England's greatest ever composers. We follow him from the early faint mentions of the composer in Dover Priory, to his 40-plus years serving four successive monarchs as part of the Chapel Royal, and through the upheaval of one of the most tumultuous periods in all of English history. Fairly early in his career, we find Thomas Tallis already working in London. In Monday's episode, Donald explores the circumstances which led him to England's capital city, and examines what the composer's first impressions of the city must have been like. O Sacrum Convivium Choir of New College, Oxford Edward Higginbottom, director Lamentations of Jeremiah I & II Hilliard Ensemble Paul Hillier, director Euge celi porta Chapelle du Roi Alistair Dixon, director Alleluia. Per te Dei genitrix Ave, rosa sine spinis Cardinall's Musik Andrew Carwood, director When shall my sorrowful sighing slack Gabriel Crouch, baritone Elizabeth Kenny, lute Donald Macleod explores the circumstances that brought Thomas Tallis to London. |
| 2023 | 02 | Reform | 20230214 | Donald Macleod examines how the reforms of Henry VIII impacted Thomas Tallis, who was at the last monastery to be dissolved in England. `So great a musician are you.....that if the Fates carried you off.....music would be mute.` So wrote a contemporary of Thomas Tallis, showing us just how highly this composer was regarded in his own time. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod traces the career of Tallis, unquestionably one of England's greatest ever composers. We follow him from the early faint mentions of the composer in Dover Priory, to his 40-plus years serving four successive monarchs as part of the Chapel Royal, and through the upheaval of one of the most tumultuous periods in all of English history. In Tuesday's episode, Donald explores how the reforms of Henry VIII impacted on Thomas Tallis, who was working at Waltham Abbey - the last monastery to be dissolved in England, and then had to adjust to Henry's further reform of cathedrals. Sequence: Celeste Organum - Agnus Dei Chapelle du Roi Alistair Dixon, director Magnificat for 4 voices Rodolfus Choir Ralph Allwood, director Salve Intemerata The Tallis Scholars Peter Phillips, director Mass for four Voices The Gentlemen of HM Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace Carl Jackson, director Donald Macleod examines how the reforms of Henry VIII impacted Thomas Tallis. |
| 2023 | 04 | All Change | 20230216 | Donald Macleod explores how life was for Tallis under the successive and entirely different reigns of King Edward and Queen Mary. `So great a musician are you.....that if the Fates carried you off.....music would be mute.` So wrote a contemporary of Thomas Tallis, showing us just how highly this composer was regarded in his own time. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod traces the career of Tallis, unquestionably one of England's greatest ever composers. We follow him from the early faint mentions of the composer in Dover Priory, to his 40-plus years serving four successive monarchs as part of the Chapel Royal, and through the upheaval of one of the most tumultuous periods in all of English history. In 1547, the nine-year-old King Edward came to the throne. In Thursday's episode, Donald finds Tallis navigating the array of changes this brought to England to rise through the ranks of the King's Chapel Royal. Before long though, there would be further upheaval as Queen Mary succeeded Edward and set about undoing all of the religious reforms of the previous decades. In the midst of all of this turmoil, Tallis had a significant change of his own - he got married. Te Deum for Meanes The Sixteen Harry Christophers, director If Ye Love Me Sonoro Neil Ferris, director A New Commandment Robert Shaw Festival Singers Robert Shaw, director Gaude Gloriosa Alamire David Skinner, director In nomine Fretwork Mass: Puer natus est nobis (excerpt) Stile Antico I call and cry out to the lord Ensemble Pro Victoria Toby Ward, director Donald Macleod explores how life was for Tallis under King Edward and Queen Mary. |
| 2023 | 05 LAST | Elizabeth I | 20230217 | Donald Macleod explores the success and incredible music Tallis created under the reign of Elizabeth I. `So great a musician are you.....that if the Fates carried you off.....music would be mute.` So wrote a contemporary of Thomas Tallis, showing us just how highly this composer was regarded in his own time. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod traces the career of Tallis, unquestionably one of England's greatest ever composers. We follow him from the early faint mentions of the composer in Dover Priory, to his 40-plus years serving four successive monarchs as part of the Chapel Royal, and through the upheaval of one of the most tumultuous periods in all of English history. Tallis had been a member of the Chapel Royal for some 16 years by the time Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1559. In Friday's episode, Donald explores how despite another set of massive changes heralded by the Protestant Queen, and a host of personnel changes, Tallis kept his place in the Chapel Royal. He was further honoured by the monarch with a monopoly for polyphonic music and a patent to print and publish music together with William Byrd. Tallis would repay Elizabeth's faith and go on to write some of his greatest music under her reign, including the 40-part motet Spem in Alium. Psalm 2, the third of 9 tunes for Archbishop Parker's psalter `Why Fum'th In Fight` Suzi Digby, director Suscipe quaeso domine Rodolfus Choir Ralph Allwood, director My Soul Cleaveth to the Dust The Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, director O Nata Lux (arr. Christian Forshaw) Voces8 Christian Forshaw, Saxophone ORA Singers Cantiones Sacrae (excerpts) Alamire David Skinner, director Miserere nostri Stile Antico Donald Macleod explores Tallis's success under the reign of Elizabeth I. |