YourClassical

31 Days of Classical, Day 25: Do your soul a favor

Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis
Wikimedia commons

Each day throughout July, I'll share with you a piece of classical music. Thirty-one days, thirty-one pieces.

The list is by no means definitive, nor is it necessarily a list of all of my favorite music from the classical world. Every morning, I start my day with music that inspires me in some way, whether I'm inspired by its happiness, its loneliness, the instrumentation, the harmony, the colors, the melody -- each piece is special in some way -- and offers an opportunity to either hear something you've never heard, or hear something new in a piece you've known your whole life.

Thomas Tallis, Third Tune for Archbishop Parker "Why F'umth in Fight"

In fairness, I came to know this tune like a lot of us get to know it, by hearing Ralph Vaughan Williams's time-stopping Fantasia on a Theme from Thomas Tallis. I'll get to Ralph in a moment, but this stern anthem from Tallis deserves hearing first. It's in a "modal" tonality, a mode called Phrygian (a minor scale with a lowered 2nd scale-degree, or a flat-two). It gives it an otherworldly feel, although it would've sounded quite normal to us in the 16th century when Tallis wrote it. Once you hear the anthem, do your soul a favor and listen to the gorgeous setting Vaughan Williams did, the aforementioned Fantasia on a Theme from Thomas Tallis. How do I describe it? Transcendent. You might take notice that RVW wrote it for a string quartet with not one, but two orchestras. Boss.

Take the 31 Days of Classical Challenge

31 Days is a bite-sized month-long trial of Classical Music from across the spectrum of the wonderful, expansive music we love at Classical MPR. Join the fun by subscribing to the 31 Days of Classical newsletter, or use #31DaysofClassical on Twitter or Facebook.

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