Tallis, Thomas
Tallis, Thomas (b c.1505; d Greenwich, 1585). Eng. composer and organist. Org., Waltham Abbey from c.1538 to 1540. Lay clerk, Canterbury Cath. 1540–2. Gentleman of the Chapel Royal 1540–85, serving under Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth I, and organist jointly with Byrd. In 1575 Elizabeth granted Tallis and Byrd letters patent giving them 21-year monopoly for printing mus. and mus. paper. In that year they pubd. 34 Cantiones sacrae in 5 and 6 parts (16 by Tallis and 18 by Byrd). Tallis wrote some pieces for kbd. and viols, but is mainly known for church mus. of great contrapuntal ingenuity and technical dexterity. In this respect his masterpiece is perhaps the 40-part motet Spem in alium, in the opening section of which 20 vv. enter successively with theme in imitation. The other 20 then enter with new material and, after passages for varying numbers of vv., all 40 combine for the ending. Of special interest, too, is the use of modulation in the 2 Lamentations from near the end of his long career. The tune known as Tallis's Canon was one of 9 which Tallis comp. for Archbishop Parker's metrical Whole Psalter, 1567, where it is attached to Ps. 67. In 1732 it was linked with Bishop Ken's Winchester evening hymn, ‘Glory to thee, my God, this night’. Another tune written for this psalter was that used by Vaughan Williams in 1910 as the basis of his Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis for str.
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Tallis, Thomas