Communion music
this week we shall be listening to “If Ye Love Me” by Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585), performed by The Tallis Scholars.
Tallis, a prominent musician of the Chapel Royal for most of his career, wrote during the turmoils of the English Reformation, but was able to adapt his compositional style to suit the varying demands of successive monarchs. He was among the first to write sacred music in English, and this piece, published in 1565 and setting a text from John 14:15–17, is a notable example of the highly simplified style favoured by the Reformers.