Tudor Sacred Music

Music for church services in the reign of Henry VIII was among the most complicated and ornate that has ever been written. Here is "Sanctus" by John Taverner (1490-1545)

Another noted composer of this period was John Sheppard. His 'Verbum Caro Factum est' is another soaring piece.

By way of contrast, William Byrd was a Catholic in later Tudor years when he had to hide his beliefs for fear of being arrested. He wrote some of his best music for performance in secret, at services held in the homes of Catholic families. This is also a setting of 'Sanctus' but for three voices- it is a more gentle setting, with a sense of longing...

Byrd's Ave Verum corpus could also never be performed in public during his lifetime, as it sets words in Latin that would be sung at a Roman Catholic Mass

Thomas Tallis wrote music in both Latin (during the reigns of Henry VIII and Mary) but could adapt and write music for the Protestant services in the reigns of Edward VI and Elizabeth I. His amazing 'Spem in Alium' for 40 part choir (!) was written in about 1573 (possibly for Elizabeth's 40th birthday) and shows that Latin was still allowed. Its style is a throwback to the early Tudor glories of Taverner and Sheppard.