People have strong music preferences. I watch the drama play out in churches in real-time. Some people are passionate about traditional music, while others are equally fervent about contemporary music. The same was true in sixteenth century England. Catholics were adamant that music must be sung in the sacred language of Latin. Trained choirs sang in polyphonic style, blending many voices to add richness to the biblical text and create reverence for God’s grandeur and holiness. Protestants were zealous about congregational singing in English and wanted to keep embellishments to a minimum to accentuate clarity for the biblical text.
The musical adaptability of Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) served him well during the political turmoil of the sixteenth century English Tudor dynasty. He was a court composer under four different monarchs. King Henry VIII, who was initially Catholic, later rejected the pope and appointed himself head of the Church of England. He maintained a love for Latin and directed Thomas to preserve the musical tradition. His three children had widely divergent music preferences: son King Edward VI, a staunch Protestant, directed Thomas to write English hymns, Catholic daughter Queen Mary I ordered Thomas’ return to Latin canticles, and daughter Queen Elizabeth I brought back Protestant music. Thomas’ versatility was remarkable. He could write splendid Latin chants to satisfy Catholics and compose intimate English hymns to appease Anglicans. One of his hymn tunes (among my favorites!) is paired with the lyrics of the evening hymn, “All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night.” When Thomas submitted nine hymn tunes for a 1567 hymnbook, “Tallis Canon” was among them. This tune accompanied Thomas’ hymn, “God Grant with Grace,” a musical adaption of Psalm 67. Canon is a musical term meaning round, which equates to singing a hymn at alternating intervals. For those who struggle with sleep, listening to Thomas’ hymn may settle you. Five stanzas of Thomas’ hymn lead us to pray: