Famous early 20th century composers biography
Famous early 20th century composers biography
20th century composers!
10 British composers who shaped the nation’s classical music legacy
Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)
Unquestionably one of the finest English composers in history, Tallis is known for the sublime choral settings he wrote – including the hymn, ‘Thou wast, O God’, which inspired Vaughan Williams’ (see below) Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, and the stunning 40-part masterpiece, Spem in Alium – which translates as ‘I Have Hope in No Other’ and is written for eight choirs of five separate voices.
Tallis was a composer throughout the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I and, in spite of upheavals in the church created by these monarchs, remained a steadfast composer of sacred music, able to adapt his style and set texts in both English and Latin.
Thomas Tallis ‘If Ye Love Me’, performed by The Queen's Six
William Byrd (1543-1623)
Byrd wrote some of the most sublime music known to the human ear.
A Renaissance master, his music defined the reign of Que