The Tallis Scholars - Spem in alium

To accompany Tallis’s colossal 40 part motet Spem in alium, now a firm fixture at Cadogan Hall, Peter Phillips and the Tallis Scholars have chosen some other very big pieces, most particularly Sheppard’s iconic Media vita. Lasting over 20 minutes, it is substantial in a different way from the Tallis.

Byrd’s Ad Dominum cum tribularer comes into the same category: in eight parts throughout, Peter Phillips selected it to mark the anniversary of the composer’s death in July 1623. Meanwhile White’s Domine quis habitabit III is so unusually scored that the ensemble can only sing it when extra singers are available. No problem there!