Thomas Tallis - Mass 'Puer natus est nobis'; Responsories & Motets (Robert Quinney)

Information

Composer: Thomas Tallis

1. Mass "Puer natus est nobis": I. Gloria
2. Mass "Puer natus est nobis": II. Sanctus
3. Mass "Puer natus est nobis": III. Benedictus
4. Mass "Puer natus est nobis": IV. Agnus Dei I
5. Mass "Puer natus est nobis": V. Agnus Dei II
6. Suscipe quaeso Domine: Pt. 1 "Suscipe quaeso Domine"
7. Suscipe quaeso Domine: Pt. 2 "Si enim iniquitates"
8. Videte miraculum
9. Loquebantur variis linguis
10. Honor, Virtus et potestas
11. Homo quidam fecit coenam
12. O nata lux
13. In jejunio et fletu
14. Salvator mundi I, ITT 20
15. Salvator mundi II, ITT 31
16. In manus tuas, Domine
17. In pace
18. Miserere nostri

Choir of New College Oxford

Robert Quinney, director

Date: 2026

Label: Linn Records

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The Choir of New College Oxford, an ensemble founded in 1379, presents a celebrated collection dedicated to Renaissance English composer Thomas Tallis, whose music remains integral to their tradition. Renowned for his exquisite craftsmanship and emotional expressiveness under four different monarchs, Tallis achieved extraordinary dramatic depth and devotional intensity. The album centers on his magnificent seven-voice Mass Puer natus est nobis, showcasing his mastery of cantus firmus technique through the blend of child choristers and adult singers. Featuring additional masterpieces like O nata lux and In jejunio et fletu, the recording highlights the innovative, expressive sound world of a composer whose passing moved Byrd to declare that "music dies."

Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585) was a foundational figure in English sacred music, navigating political and religious shifts while serving the Chapel Royal under four monarchs, from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I. A master of counterpoint, his diverse output spanned simple English Reformation service music, expressive Latin polyphony, and keyboard works. Among his celebrated compositions are the monumental 40-part motet Spem in alium and his Lamentations of Jeremiah. In 1575, Elizabeth I granted Tallis and William Byrd a landmark music-printing monopoly, leading to the publication of their joint Cantiones sacrae. Tallis’s enduring legacy continues to influence Western choral traditions today.