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Tallis, Sheppard, Byrd, Mundy: The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips, Cadogan Hall, London, 12.5.2009 (GDn)

Tallis: Loquebantur variis linguis
Tallis: Suscipe quaeso
Sheppard: Media vita
Tallis: Te Deum ‘for meanes’
Byrd: O Lord, make thy servant
Byrd: Prevent us, O Lord
W. Mundy: Vox patris caelestis

Catholic vs. Protestant: the perfect theme for a concert of High Renaissance English choral music. Except, of course, that the allegiances of the featured composers were largely determined by the political climate of the day and subject to frequent change. The choice of works emphasises the distinction between Protestant austerity and Catholic indulgence, almost to the point of stereotype, but the resulting contrast provides welcome guidance for modern ears around the political and theological conflicts that separate these styles.

On paper, the conflict seems unfairly weighted in favour of the Protestant cause, with Byrd and Tallis, the most revered English composers of their age fighting the corner. But neither composer shines in this role, although both display in impressive versatility in their ability to rein in their polyphonic tendencies to conform to Protestant tastes. Of the three Tallis works, the Te Deum ‘for meanes’ was the most austere. The work is episodic, alternating between a relatively straightforward word-focused polyphony and passages of rhythmic unison homophony. The distinctive strident tone of Tallis’ more famous (and more interesting) polyphonic edifices was apparent throughout and, ironically, was most evident in the homophonic passages, their imposing harmonies and occasional false relations hinting at the Gothic grandeur of his greatest music.

William Byrd also comes across as a reluctant champion of Protestantism in English church music. The anthems O Lord, make thy servant and Prevent us, O Lord both strain under the obligations of simplicity and word focus. But influence often comes from unlikely quarters, and it is significant how English this music sounds today. At a time when Anglican church music was taking its first stumbling steps towards a distinctive identity, the work of this recusant Catholic seems as significant as any in determining its course.

The concert was structured in two halves, each beginning with shorter works written for Protestant tastes and concluding with a grander contribution from times of Catholic monarchy. Both of the latter were written by relative unknowns (unknown to me at any rate) but both were stunning. The Media Vita by John Sheppard is a polyphonic work of the old school, strict counterpoint built around an undeviating tenor cantus firmus. It makes a convincing argument for the value of the old traditions, the intricate subtleties of its counterpoint energising and distinguishing every phrase. A soaring soprano line provides a particularly emotive response to the incantations of the tenor. Shades here of the Allegri Miserere, but altogether more polyphonic, more varied and more interesting.

The final work of the concert (bar a bijou encore from Tallis) was the Vox patris caelestis by W. Mundy. Written during the reign of Queen Mary, this too demonstrates the indulgences permitted by, and encouraged for, Catholic observance. The polyphony is complex without being daunting, the melismatic sensuality of its individual lines drawing the ear into the counterpoint. Like the Media Vita, this is a substantial work written as a series of musically distinct sections. It suffered slightly from its position at the end of the programme, with ensemble, balance and tuning issues becoming more evident as the work progressed.

This was a shame as the performance standards up till then had been excellent. Music of this vintage poses a range of interpretation issues, but this performance more than vindicated the choices made. Ladies voices on the soprano and alto parts are unlikely to be to everybody’s taste, and the occasionally swoops up to the highest notes are likely to rankle with the dissenters. I can only assume that the pitch at which this music is sung is also open to debate, and the policy here seems to have been to crank it as high as the sopranos could manage, leading to thrilling results, at least until the cracks started to appear in the final work.

An impressive display, then, of the variety and richness of English Renaissance choral music. And if Tallis and Byrd were poorly represented through their more staid contributions, it is unlikely to do long-term harm to their reputations. John Sheppard was rather better served by the programme. The Media vita has, apparently, become a signature work for this group in recent years, and they pride themselves on the exposure it has received through their performances and recordings. The work is certainly worthy of their continued attentions, and their performance of it this evening proved them to be its ideal advocates.

Gavin Dixon

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