Tallis (Tallys, Talys, Talles), Thomas

Tallis (Tallys, Talys, Talles), Thomas, eminent English organist and composer; b. c. 1505; d. Greenwich, Nov. 23, 1585. He was organist at the Benedictine Priory in Dover (1532); was in the employ of London’s church of St. Mary-at-Hill (1537-38), most likely as organist. He served as organist at Walthem Abbey (c. 1538-0), and then was a lay clerk at Canterbury Cathedral (1541-42). From about 1543, he served as Gentleman of the Chapel Royal during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth I, and as joint organist with Byrd. With Byrd, he obtained in 1575 letters patent for the exclusive privilege of printing music and ruled music paper, the first work issued by them being 34 Cantiones quae ab argumento sacrae vocan-tur, 5 et 6 partium, in 1575 (includes 17 pieces by each). Tallis’s most famous work is Spem in alium non habui, a “song of 40 parts” for 8 5-part choirs. A composer of great contrapuntal skill, he was among the first to set English words to music for the rites of the Church of England. Surviving are 3 masses, 2 Magnificats, 2 Lamentations, 52 motets and other pieces with Latin text, over 20 Eng. anthems, 9 psalm tunes, etc., as well as some keyboard music. Modern editions of his music are included in D. Stevens, ed., T. Tallis: Complete Keyboard Works (London, 1953) and L. Ellinwood, ed., T. Tallis: English Sacred Music, I, Anthems; II, Service Music, in the Early English Church Music series, XII and XIII (rev. by P. Doe, 1974).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire