English Church Music in Tudor Times  

Apart from the works of Palestrina, most of the music of this period that you are likely to hear is English.  English music in the days of Queen Elizabeth I was second to none, and we can be very proud of our heritage.  

Tye (c.  I500-c- 1573) and Tallis (c. 1505-1585) were two great composers who wrote church music before the Reformation.  Tye was choirmaster at Ely cathedral and Tallis was the organist of Waltham Abbey.  They wrote masses and motets and other music for the Roman Catholic Church service. But they, like all other church musicians, were affected by the Reformation.  The monasteries had been the chief seats of musical learning, so they were naturally affected by their closure.  Tallis lost his post on the dissolution of Waltham Abbey, but he later became a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal of King Henry VIII.  TMs Chapel was the religious establishment 'of the Sovereign, members of which always traveled with him to perform the daily service.  It consisted of "Gentlemen" singers, and of boys who were known as the " Children of the Chapel".  They wore a brilliant uniform, rather like that of the Yeomen of the Guard.  Many other famous musicians, such as Purcell and Sullivan, have been Children or Gentlemen of the Chapel, and it still sings twice on Sundays in St James’s Palace, a building which was built by Henry VIII.  

The Tudors were a musical family, and Henry VIII was a composer, in addition to being a patron of the art.  The Reformation brought political rather than theological changes in his reign, and Tye was able to continue as organist at Ely.  But greater changes took place when Edward VI came to the throne.  He issued the first English prayer book in 1549, and composers had then to begin writing church music with English rather than Latin words, while musical services, which had been previously written in Latin, could no longer be used, unless they were rewritten to English words.  Tallis was among the first composers to write in English, and he has been called "the Father of English Cathedral music".  Tye also wrote for the reformed church, in a simple tuneful style, and has been called " the Father of the anthem".  The anthem was similar to the motet, but with English instead of Latin words.  

Greater than either Tye or Tallis was William Byrd (1543-1623).  He lived a generation later, through the reign of Queen Elizabeth and on into Stuart days.  Yet he remained a convinced Catholic, and wrote much church music with Latin words.  He and his wife and family were indicted several times for not attending their parish church, and on one occasion his house was searched, but he suffered no real persecution, and he was allowed to retain his appointment as joint organist with Tallis of the Chapel Royal, probably because he was so highly esteemed as a musician.  He wrote some fine masses in Latin, in addition to music with English words for the Protestant church, such as his 'Great Service'.  There had been so many recent changes in religion, and perhaps he always hoped that England would become Roman Catholic again.  

In 1575 Byrd and Tallis obtained a monopoly from Queen Elizabeth to be the sole music printers and publishers in England, and they jointly composed a set of motets called 'Cantiones Sacrae', dedicated to the Queen in that year.  Byrd was a prolific composer and he wrote many madrigals and a good deal of music for the viols and virginals.  But he was a deeply serious and religious man, and his church music is perhaps his greatest contribution to posterity.