On Saturday, December 13, Montreal welcomed the renowned Tallis Scholars to St. Peter & St. Andrews Church for their Mother and Child program. For nearly two hours, the vocal ensemble transported us into the world of Renaissance sacred music, interspersed with modern compositions.
Under the direction of Peter Phillips, conductor and founder of the ensemble, we first encounter the famous Thomas Tallis with Missa puer natus and William Byrd’s Votive Mass of the Virgin. But there are also more recent composers such as Benjamin Britten, and even living composers such as Matthew Martin with his commissioned work Salve Regina. This is a complex piece that highlights the purity of the alto voice in perfectly intelligible Latin. Although he uses the traditional model of plainchant, Martin composes a work sprinkled with dissonances and unresolved chords, thus highlighting the ensemble’s mastery of the text. It is a work that demonstrates the talent of the singers in their ability to make their voices resonate in a unique way and include them in a whole, particularly among the basses.
As the holidays approach, The Tallis Scholars offer us a magical moment, suspended by the sacredness of the venue and the singing, and the precision of a meticulous performance. The singers blend together in a single, subtle flow, without grand gestures or movements, reflecting each performer’s ease in their role. After a unanimous ovation from the audience, the ensemble treats us to an encore by composer Jean Mouton, which touches on a lower register and leaves us hanging for the rest of this more than successful winter evening.
PROGRAM
Thomas Tallis (c.1505-1585) : Missa Puer natus est nobis – Gloria
William Byrd (c.1540-1623) : Messe votive de la Vierge
• Ave maris stella
• Rorate caeli
• Tollite portas
• Ave Maria
• Ecce virgo concipiet
Matthew Martin (b.1976) : Salve Regina*
Thomas Tallis : Missa Puer natus est nobis – Sanctus et Agnus Dei
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) : A Hymn to the Virgin
John Taverner (1490-1545) : Mater Christi
John Nesbett (? – c.1488) : Magnificat
DISTRIBUTION
Peter Phillips – conductor
Amy Haworth, soprano
Daisy Walford, soprano
Sumei Bao-Smith, soprano
Elisabeth Paul, alto
Anna Semple, alto
Simon Ponsford, alto
Steven Harrold, tenor
Tom Castle, tenor
Tim Scott Whiteley, bass
Ben Davies, bass
