Vaughan Williams in 1920 Photo: E. O. Hoppé, Public Domain
In 1567, English Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis set nine psalms to music for the Archbishop of Canterbury. Nearly 400 years later, Ralph Vaughan Williams stumbled across these melodies while compiling hymns for the 1906 English Hymnal, and took a particular liking to the third of Tallis’ melodies. He eventually used it in his work for double string orchestra, the 'Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis'.
The overall effect of the orchestration is of a Renaissance multi-part choir, where melodic threads intertwine in a complex tapestry that eventually combine to sing out the main plainchant theme. Listening to the 'Fantasia' is akin to listening to the past through a modern filter; conductor Donald Runnicles describes the work perfectly when he says, “you have two great English composers coming together, and straddling 400 years.”
Recorded 20 November 2020, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Producer: David McCaw
Engineer: Darryl Stack
