Taverner - Tye - Sheppard : Western Wind Masses

Christopher Tye (1505-1572) was a Cambridge musician and composer, working at King's College part of his career. He was choirmaster of Ely Cathedral, and took doctorates of music from both Oxford and Cambridge. His music includes motets, magnificats, masses, anthems and other liturgical pieces. He finished his career as a parish priest on the isle of Ely.

John Sheppard (1515-1559) was the `youngster' of this group. He was more prolific than even Tallis, though his reputation is much less notable now than perhaps it should be. Quite prolific in the Latin liturgical composition, he used pre-existing material to develop his work on more than one occasion. He was granted a degree by Oxford, but perhaps never received it. Reference is made to his study of twenty years at Oxford (and modern doctorate seekers think that their dissertation processes are lengthy!).

--Western Wind Masses--
These are unique pieces - not only are they unprecedented in the linkages between three composers on similar pieces, but also these are the only masses in English composition based on a secular tune. The `Western Wynde' masses. Taverner's is generally thought to be the oldest piece, but this view is not without its critics. The styles of the three masses are quite different, so the most Taverner passed on to the others, if indeed his was first, was the idea. Taverner's mass is the most varied; Tye's is more simple, but very stunning, particularly the benedictus. Sheppard's is the shortest of the three, only half the length of Taverner's - it is the most clear and simple of the lot.

--Liner Notes--
Being internationally acclaimed, the Tallis Scholars' CDs typically present their commentary and texts in English, French, German and Italian (together with any Latin texts); that is true of this disc. The cover art also typically represents visual arts contemporary with the compositions - here it is detail from `The Birth of Venus', by Botticelli, roughly contemporary with Taverner, the earliest of the three composers featured here.

--The Tallis Scholars--
The Tallis Scholars, a favourite group of mine since the first time I heard them decades ago, are a group dedicated to the performance and preservation of the best of this type of music. A choral group of exceptional ability, I have been privileged to see them many times in public, and at almost every performance, their singing seems almost like a spiritual epiphany for me, one that defies explanation in words. Directed by Peter Phillips, the group consists of a small number of male and female singers who have trained themselves well to their task.

Their recordings are of a consistent quality that deserve more than five stars; this particular disc of masses by Taverner, Tye and Sheppard deserves a place on the shelf of anyone who loves choral music, liturgical music or Gregorian chant, classical music generally, or religious music. It is a great collection of similarly themed but different pieces. The music on this disc was originally recorded in 1993 at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, Salle, Norfolk.