BaL 1.10.16 - Tallis: Spem in alium

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library: Simon Heighes makes a personal recommendation of Thomas Tallis's 40-part motet Spem in alium from among available recordings.
No one really knows what prompted Tallis's Spem in alium. One theory is that it was written as an "anything you can do I can do better" response to a visiting Italian's forty-parter. Whatever the reason for its composition, England's preeminent Tudor composer wrote what has become one of the defining works of the English Renaissance, an unsurpassed masterpiece extensively recorded by secular and ecclesiastical UK choirs.


Available recordings:-


National Youth Choir of Great Britain, Mike Brewer
Magnificat, Philip Cave
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (Coro)
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (Chandos)
Pro Cantione Antiqua, Mark Brown
The Cardinall's Musick, Andrew Carwood
Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury
La Chappelle du Roi, Alistair Dixon
New College Choir, Oxford, Edward Higginbottom
Winchester Cathedral Choir, Winchester College Quiristers & Vocal Arts Chorus, David Hill
I Fagiolini, Robert Hollingworth
The King's Singers
Cambridge Voices, Ian de Massini (arr Massini)
Huelgas-Ensemble, Paul Van Nevel
Katarina Girls Choir, Katharina Boys' Choir, Capella Catharinae, Katarina Chamber Choir, Katarina Male Choir, Lars-Ewe Nilsson (download)
Taverner Choir, Andrew Parrott
The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips (Gimell 1985)
Oxford Camerata, Jeremy Summerly
Morley College Choir, Michael Tippett
Cantillation, Anthony Walker
Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Cambridge University Choir, Sir David Willcocks
The Clerkes of Oxenford, David Wulstan (download)

[ardcarp]

A very manageable subject. A relatively short piece (ok there may be some scholarly quibbles over editing matters) with a small cadre of recordings. I dare say big choir v. OVPP might raise its head.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Even a large choir could manage only 2 or 3 to a part.

[vinteuil]

.
this lot might give it more welly than that -

https://cdn.royalalberthall.com/file/1396975600/30171043578/width=1280/height=720/format=JPG/fit=crop/crop=38x0+1422x800/rev=3/t=399488/e=never/k=ae6f2562/Messiah+1500x800.jpg

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

How often is it sung by five 4-part choirs?

[ardcarp]

Er....?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Er....?

Um... Ok...

...five 8-part choirs

[ardcarp]

8 five-part choirs?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

8 five-part choirs?

Oh dear. It's been a long day. You are quite correct of course.

[LeMartinPecheur]

8 five-part choirs?

In1977 I attended a performance in Basingstoke given by the combined forces of some four local choral societies.

It was so bad that they invited members of the audience to help in an immediate repeat! Not at all sure that this was any better even so My wife and I did our best...

[jean]

It's always eight five-part choirs, whatever already-exisiting choral groupings you draw your singers from.

The music is not difficult, it's the rests in between. The easiest scores to follow IMO are the ones that print the music of two choirs together, with plentiful cues from the others.

[Bryn]

My introduction to the work was via the Willcocks recording (thanks to fellow Scratch Orchestra member Peter 'Psi' Ellison). Since then, of the many recordings I have heard, those directed by Brown and Nevel have appealed most, especially the latter.

[ardcarp]

It's always eight five-part choirs, whatever already-exisiting choral groupings you draw your singers from.

The music is not difficult, it's the rests in between. The easiest scores to follow IMO are the ones that print the music of two choirs together, with plentiful cues from the others.

But the great big one is more fun.

[jean]

You must have longer arms than me!

[underthecountertenor]

But the great big one is more fun.

It's also very convenient for hiding ones laughter when things go horribly wrong.