Thomas Tallis 1505-1585 English organist and composer

The career of Thomas Tallis spanned the reigns of four monarchs: Henry VIII, Edward VII, Mary I (Mary Tudor), and Elizabeth I and a long period of religious change. Indeed, his music reflects the religious upheavals and political changes that affected English church music at the time of the reformation. When Tallis was organist at Waltham Abbey, Catholicism was the official religion in England. He wrote music with latin texts because latin was the accepted language for music in Catholic churches. When Henry VIII broke with Rome, the Catholic abbeys were dissolved and Tallis lost his job. Within two years, he accepted an appointment as composer in Henry's Chapel Royal, where he remained for the rest of his life. In Henry's employ, Tallis wrote masses in English. It was in the Chapel Royal, he met, taught and befriended the composer William Byrd. When Catholicism was temporarily restored under Queen Mary I (1553-1558), Tallis again wrote church music in Latin.

As a financial benefit to her royal mucicians, Queen Elizabeth gave Tallis and Byrd a monopoly over printing music and music paper for 21 years.