Thomas Tallis: Nine Psalm Tunes
This evening we were listening, with quite a bit of pleasure, to a recording we recently purchased. It's called "Heavenly Harmonies"; it records the 13-voice a capella group "Stile Antico" singing William Byrd's (c. 1540–1623) "Motets" (from Cantiones sacrae I & II) and "Mass Propers for Pentecost (from Gradualia, 1607), interspersed with "9 Psalm Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter" by Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585). (Harmonia Mundi USA, HMU 807463).
Naturally, while we were listening Isaac was doing some research. In particular he wanted to see whether the musical score for the Tallis was online, so that we might consider singing them sometime. Happily they are, at the Choral Public Domain Library (an invaluable resource for stuff like this). See: "Nine Psalm Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter (Thomas Tallis)".
It seems that Archbishop Parker published, in 1567, English-verse rhyming translations of all the biblical psalms. These versions apparently were of dubious value even at the time since, we are told, the published work never went on sale.
Anyway, as an example, here are verses 1 & 2 of psalm 68, as translated by Parker (this from the liner notes to the recording):
Let God arise, in majesty,
And scattered be his foes;
Yea flee they all, his sight in face,
To him which hateful goes;
As smoke is driv'n, and comes to nought,
Repulse their tyrrany;
At face of fire, it's wax doth melt,
God's face the bad might fly.
Wow!
Tallis wrote 9 tunes that were to be matched with the appropriate psalm translation according to the "accent" that was indicated for each psalm. The guidelines for the matching, not surprisingly, are presented in another poem (from the CPDL page) that describes "The nature of the eyght tunes":
~ 1 The first is méeke: deuout to sée,
\ 2 The second sad: in maiesty.
\ 3 The third doth rage: and roughly brayth.
/ 4 The fourth doth fawne: and flattry playth,
/ 5 The fyfth delight: and laugheth the more,
\ 6 The sixt bewayleth: it wéepeth full sore,
\ 7 The seuenth tredeth stoute: in froward race,
~ 8 The eyghte goeth milde: in modest pace.
I can't say for sure that we heard exactly those natures in the recording, but perhaps we weren't listening closely enough.
Our eyes were drawn particularly to this note about performance:
The Tenor of these partes be for the people when they will syng alone, the other parts, put for greater queers [= "choirs", of course!], or to suche as will syng or play them priuatelye.
Helpfully the CPDL page provides this remaining fact that may answer a question your didn't even know you had:
It is interesting to note that Psalme. 2. THE THIRD TUNE is the "theme" used in Ralph Vaughan Williams' popular "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis".
I'm sure that at this point some remark would be appropriate about how even the sweetest smelling flowers do grow from manure.
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on Saturday, 5 July 2008 at 01.56
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The Tallis "third mode" melody you mention is indeed lovely, and is the tune of Vaughn-Williams' Fantasy on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Some Anglican hymn books include it, set to a variety of words. "Common Praise," the Canadian book published in 1998 (ten years ago already, my my), has Lenten words, "To mock your reign, O dearest Lord, they made a crown of thorns" &c, at number 191. You have, I think, a somewhat dog-chewed copy of that book somewhere. The Episcopal Church's 1982 hymnal has the same combination of words and tune (in a different key) at 190, and, at 692, the tune (in a third key) with the words "I heard the voice of Jesus say." That's odd, because those words are usually set to another English tune, Kingsfold, which Vaughn Williams used in his "Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus", that being another name for the tune.
I had thought that the older Canadian hymn book, from 1937, also had it, to the words "My God, I love thee; not because I hope for heaven thereby", but I find that it's the First Mode Melody rather than the Third (they are interchangeable, since they are both the same Double Common Metre).
All these arrangements follow the modern practice of putting the melody in the soprano line; but, as your notes indicate, in the originals it was the tenor line that carried the melody (the faux bourdon). Perhaps because the hymns were sung by equal voices? (Just as, I note, lots of the things my men's choir sings have the melody in the second tenor or baritone line, rather than the first tenor.)
on Saturday, 5 July 2008 at 22.41
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Astonishing to me, that there should be such an interest in Tallis, at this moment.
In our church in downtown Toronto, we'll be singing the famous Third Tune mentioned above, but with the great 19th-century words, "I heard the voice of Jesus say, 'Come unto me and rest …'," in a quartet of my wife and me, with a singer friend, and our new priest. Who's a musician!!
For me, the whole thing is curious, especially all that stuff posted about how to sing, including, yes, the business about synging alone or in greater queers.
Tomorrow, we'll be singing with the whole body of the church, after the quartet (should that be queertet, do you think?) sings the first couple of verses. But the model I hold so dear in my heart comes from a rare recording done by a friend of mine, Suzan McQueen, with her guitarist husband, Kevin Mason. It's such a beautiful prayer of blessing, on a CD called Wondrous Love. I've been haunted by its beauty for about four years now (not counting the almost thirty years that I've remembered Suzan's voice with awe, from when she bewitched me as we both studied voice at the same time).
Tallis absolutely rocks, and I stayed up late in the night a couple nights ago, figuring out how the meter and rhythm of the tune must go, or … how it could go. I'm still obsessed, and filled brimful with pleasure, with both the words and the music.
on Saturday, 5 July 2008 at 23.48
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Alan, what downtown church? I used to live in Toronto, and inquiring minds need to know!
The Episcopal Church's Hymnal 1980 pairs the Tallis Third Mode Melody with "I heard the voice of Jesus say."
It should sound glorious.
on Wednesday, 9 July 2008 at 19.05
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The received wisdom (as in these program notes) says that Vaughan Williams came across the tune when he was editing The English Hymnal c. 1905.