Home

The Tallis Scholars gave their first ever concert on 3 November 1973 at the Church of St. Mary Magdalen, Oxford; the programme included works by Lassus Josquin and Obrecht. 2013 is the 40th anniversary of the group and Peter is celebrating, not only by revisiting repertoire such as Allegri’s Miserere for which the group is world-famous, but also by illustrating how the group has progressed and will continue to develop.

The Tallis Scholars will tour the world in 2013 and would be delighted to collaborate with new concert venues and to visit the few countries they have yet to sing in. The tour will visit Japan and South East Asia, Australia, US and of course Europe.

Exciting new commissions created to celebrate the anniversary will be premièred throughout. If you are interested in hosting the world première or a country première by Eric Whitacre (a setting of a Virgil text) or Gabriel Jackson Ave dei Patris please contact us.

The group will also collaborate with other ensembles and choirs throughout the year performing great 40-part works by Tallis, Striggio, Jackson, and Walker. Territory premières are also available for Sir John Tavener’s Tribute to Cavafy which was commissioned for The Tallis Scholars and premiered in 2006. The piece utilises 24 singers, narrator, soloist, percussion and is an extraordinary work of great beauty.

Some programme examples featuring ‘The Best of The Tallis Scholars’ are below:

The Best of The Tallis Scholars

TALLIS, THOMAS: Loquebantur variis linguis
PALESTRINA, GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA: Missa Papae Marcelli
Interval
ALLEGRI, GREGORIO: Miserere
WHITACRE, ERIC: Sainte Chappelle
PÄRT, ARVO: Nunc Dimittis
TALLIS, THOMAS: Miserere
BYRD, WILLIAM: Tribue, Domine

This programme puts together some of the most significant pieces of music which The Tallis Scholars have become associated with in the last 40 years. The Missa Papae Marcelli was the first piece ever to be recorded by the group, in the Chapel of Merton College Oxford in 1976. The group went on to dedicate many records to Tallis, Byrd and Josquin; one to Tavener; and to make three original recordings of Allegri's Miserere. More recently the group has featured the sacred music of Arvo Pärt and all of this music has formed the backbone of our more than 1750 concerts worldwide since 1973.

The Best of The Tallis Scholars (with narrator)

TALLIS: Loquebantur variis linguis
PALESTRINA: Laudate pueri
PALESTRINA: Stabat mater
ALLEGRI: Miserere
Interval
TAVENER: Tribute to Cavafy (three movements lasting 15 minutes in total)
PÄRT: Magnificat (or other)
TALLIS: Miserere
JOSQUIN: Absalon fili mi
BYRD: Ave verum
BYRD: Laudibus in sanctis

This programme contains repertoire for which the group have become renowned but also incorporates a narrator enabling the ensemble to perform movements from Tavener's Tribute to Cavafy. The work grew out of a smaller piece In the month of Athyr which was commissioned to celebrate The Tallis Scholars' 25th anniversary and premièred in the UK with Sting and in the US by Sir Paul McCartney.

My Refuge, My Fortress

24 singers, narrator, solo soprano and percussion

JOSQUIN: Qui habitat
PÄRT: Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen
BRUMEL: Gloria from Missa Et ecce terræ motus
Interval
TAVENER: Tribute to Cavafy

The Tallis Scholars have commissioned a number of living composers, including Eric Whitacre and Gabriel Jackson. The first was Sir John Tavener in 1981. Tribute to Cavafy (1999) was the most substantial commission from Tavener, based on the poetry of the Alexandrian Greek poet, Constantine Cavafy, and set for a 24 voice choir, narrator, solo soprano and percussion. To preface this masterpiece Peter has chosen three other compositions for many voices - Josquin's 24-voice canon Qui habitat; Pärt's resonant Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen, and the supernal Gloria from Antoine Brumel's 12-voice Missa Et ecce terræ motus ('Earthquake' mass).