Western Wind Masses

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The haunting folk tune "Western Wind, When Wilt Thou Blow" briefly became the L'homme armé of Tudor England--like L'homme armé, it was a secular tune often used as a basis for settings of the Mass. While composers on the continent set L'homme armé in long notes in the tenor voice and wrote faster-moving parts around it; these three English composers constantly repeat the Western Wind melody, often passing it from one voice to another with the countermelodies moving at more or less the same speed. (Interestingly, Taverner used the tune in every voice but the alto; Tye responded by using the tune in the alto voice only.) These are among the most popular Masses of the entire Tudor period, performed immaculately by the Tallis Scholars. --Matthew Westphal

Tracks:

Western Wind Mass: Gloria
Western Wind Mass: Credo
Western Wind Mass: Sanctus & Benedictus
Western Wind Mass: Agnus Dei I, II & III
Western Wind Mass: Gloria
Western Wind Mass: Credo
Western Wind Mass: Sanctus & Benedictus
Western Wind Mass: Agnus Dei I, II & III
Western Wind Mass: Gloria
Western Wind Mass: Credo
Western Wind Mass: Sanctus & Benedictus
Western Wind Mass: Agnus Dei I, II & III

Customer Reviews:

As the spirit blows..........2004-07-20

Christopher Tye (1505-1572) was a Cambridge musician and composer, working at King's College part of his career. He was choirmaster of Ely Cathedral, and took doctorates of music from both Oxford and Cambridge. His music includes motets, magnificats, masses, anthems and other liturgical pieces. He finished his career as a parish priest on the isle of Ely.

John Sheppard (1515-1559) was the `youngster' of this group. He was more prolific than even Tallis, though his reputation is much less notable now than perhaps it should be. Quite prolific in the Latin liturgical composition, he used pre-existing material to develop his work on more than one occasion. He was granted a degree by Oxford, but perhaps never received it. Reference is made to his study of twenty years at Oxford (and modern doctorate seekers think that their dissertation processes are lengthy!).

--Western Wind Masses--
These are unique pieces - not only are they unprecedented in the linkages between three composers on similar pieces, but also these are the only masses in English composition based on a secular tune. The `Western Wynde' masses. Taverner's is generally thought to be the oldest piece, but this view is not without its critics. The styles of the three masses are quite different, so the most Taverner passed on to the others, if indeed his was first, was the idea. Taverner's mass is the most varied; Tye's is more simple, but very stunning, particularly the benedictus. Sheppard's is the shortest of the three, only half the length of Taverner's - it is the most clear and simple of the lot.

--Liner Notes--
Being internationally acclaimed, the Tallis Scholars' CDs typically present their commentary and texts in English, French, German and Italian (together with any Latin texts); that is true of this disc. The cover art also typically represents visual arts contemporary with the compositions - here it is detail from `The Birth of Venus', by Botticelli, roughly contemporary with Taverner, the earliest of the three composers featured here.

--The Tallis Scholars--
The Tallis Scholars, a favourite group of mine since the first time I heard them decades ago, are a group dedicated to the performance and preservation of the best of this type of music. A choral group of exceptional ability, I have been privileged to see them many times in public, and at almost every performance, their singing seems almost like a spiritual epiphany for me, one that defies explanation in words. Directed by Peter Phillips, the group consists of a small number of male and female singers who have trained themselves well to their task.

Tracks:

Mass 'Western Wind': Gloria
Mass 'Western Wind': Credo
Mass 'Western Wind': Sanctus
Mass 'Western Wind': Benedictus
Mass 'Western Wind': Agnus Dei
Mass 'Euge Bone': Gloria
Mass 'Euge Bone': Credo
Mass 'Euge Bone': Sanctus
Mass 'Euge Bone': Benedictus
Mass 'Euge Bone': Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Peterhouse Mass: Gloria
Peterhouse Mass: Credo
Peterhouse Mass: Sanctus
Peterhouse Mass: Benedictus
Peterhouse Mass: Agnus Dei

William Byrd: 3 Masses; Magnificat & Nunc dimittis; John Taverner: Mass "The Western Wind"

Average customer rating:

William Byrd: 3 Masses; Magnificat & Nunc dimittis; John Taverner: Mass "The Western Wind"

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000042EH
Release Date: 1997-06-10

Tracks:

Mass For 3 Voices: Kyrie - Gloria - Byrd
Mass For 3 Voices: Credo - Byrd
Mass For 3 Voices: Sanctus - Benedictus - Byrd
Mass For 3 Voices: Agnus Dei - Byrd
Mass For 4 Voices: Kyrie - Byrd
Mass For 4 Voices: Gloria - Byrd
Mass For 4 Voices: Credo - Byrd
Mass For 4 Voices: Sanctus - Benedictus - Byrd
Mass For 4 Voices: Agnus Dei - Byrd
Mass For 5 Voices: Kyrie - Byrd
Mass For 5 Voices: Gloria - Byrd
Mass For 5 Voices: Credo - Byrd
Mass For 5 Voices: Sanctus - Benedictus - Byrd
Mass For 5 Voices: Agnus Dei - Byrd

Tracks:

The Great Service - Magnificat - BYRD/TAVERNER
The Great Service - Nunc Dimittis - BYRD/TAVERNER
Ave Verum Corpus - BYRD/TAVERNER
Kyrie 'Le Roy' - BYRD/TAVERNER
Mass 'The Western Wind' - Gloria - BYRD/TAVERNER
Mass 'The Western Wind' - Credo - BYRD/TAVERNER
Mass 'The Western Wind' - Sanctus - BYRD/TAVERNER
Mass 'The Western Wind' - Benedictus - BYRD/TAVERNER
Mass 'The Western Wind' - Agnus Dei - BYRD/TAVERNER
Dum Transisset Sabbatum - BYRD/TAVERNER
Christe Jesu Pastor Bone - BYRD/TAVERNER
Master Christi - BYRD/TAVERNER

Average customer rating:

As the spirit blows...
Perhaps my favorite Mass collection

Taverner:Western Wind Masses
Taverner , Tye , and Sheppard
Manufacturer: Polygram
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001I57
Release Date: 1993-06-29

Tracks:

Western Wind Mass: Gloria
Western Wind Mass: Credo
Western Wind Mass : Sanctus & Benedictus
Western Wind Mass: Agnus Dei I,II & III
Western Wind Mass: Gloria
Western Wind Mass: Credo
Western Wind Mass: Sanctus & Benedictus
Western Wind Mass: Agnus Dei I, II & III
Western Wind Mass: Gloria
Western Wind Mass: Credo
Western Wind Mass Sanctus & Benedictus
Western Wind Mass: Agnus Dei I, II & III

Amazon.com

The haunting folk tune "Western Wind, When Wilt Thou Blow" briefly became the L'homme armé of Tudor England--like L'homme armé, it was a secular tune often used as a basis for settings of the Mass. While composers on the continent set L'homme armé in long notes in the tenor voice and wrote faster-moving parts around it; these three English composers constantly repeat the Western Wind melody, often passing it from one voice to another with the countermelodies moving at more or less the same speed. (Interestingly, Taverner used the tune in every voice but the alto; Tye responded by using the tune in the alto voice only.) These are among the most popular Masses of the entire Tudor period, performed immaculately by the Tallis Scholars. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

As the spirit blows..........2005-10-14

--John Taverner, Christopher Tye, and John Sheppard--
Taverner (1490-1545) was an organist and choirmaster at Oxford during Henry VIII's time, appointed to the position by Cardinal Wolsey. A first-rate composer, he composed many masses and other liturgical pieces, all in the Roman Catholic style. He emulated continental habits of taking popular tunes and transforming them into high liturgical art. Despite being listed in Foxe's Book of Martyrs as a heretic, most likely the entry is confusing him with someone else, as Taverner's life centred upon music in the Roman style, and he never seems to have deviated from this.

Christopher Tye (1505-1572) was a Cambridge musician and composer, working at King's College part of his career. He was choirmaster of Ely Cathedral, and took doctorates of music from both Oxford and Cambridge. His music includes motets, magnificats, masses, anthems and other liturgical pieces. He finished his career as a parish priest on the isle of Ely.

John Sheppard (1515-1559) was the `youngster' of this group. He was more prolific than even Tallis, though his reputation is much less notable now than perhaps it should be. Quite prolific in the Latin liturgical composition, he used pre-existing material to develop his work on more than one occasion. He was granted a degree by Oxford, but perhaps never received it. Reference is made to his study of twenty years at Oxford (and modern doctorate seekers think that their dissertation processes are lengthy!).

--Western Wind Masses--
These are unique pieces - not only are they unprecedented in the linkages between three composers on similar pieces, but also these are the only masses in English composition based on a secular tune. The `Western Wynde' masses. Taverner's is generally thought to be the oldest piece, but this view is not without its critics. The styles of the three masses are quite different, so the most Taverner passed on to the others, if indeed his was first, was the idea. Taverner's mass is the most varied; Tye's is more simple, but very stunning, particularly the benedictus. Sheppard's is the shortest of the three, only half the length of Taverner's - it is the most clear and simple of the lot.

--Liner Notes--
Being internationally acclaimed, the Tallis Scholars' CDs typically present their commentary and texts in English, French, German and Italian (together with any Latin texts); that is true of this disc. The cover art also typically represents visual arts contemporary with the compositions - here it is detail from `The Birth of Venus', by Botticelli, roughly contemporary with Taverner, the earliest of the three composers featured here.

--The Tallis Scholars--
The Tallis Scholars, a favourite group of mine since the first time I heard them decades ago, are a group dedicated to the performance and preservation of the best of this type of music. A choral group of exceptional ability, I have been privileged to see them many times in public, and at almost every performance, their singing seems almost like a spiritual epiphany for me, one that defies explanation in words. Directed by Peter Phillips, the group consists of a small number of male and female singers who have trained themselves well to their task.

Their recordings are of a consistent quality that deserve more than five stars; this particular disc of masses by Taverner, Tye and Sheppard deserves a place on the shelf of anyone who loves choral music, liturgical music or Gregorian chant, classical music generally, or religious music. It is a great collection of similarly themed but different pieces. The music on this disc was originally recorded in 1993 at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, Salle, Norfolk.

Perhaps my favorite Mass collection.......2000-10-28

Western Wind is one of the earliest surviving pieces of English poetry - a song really. These three Masses were written based on the tune for Western Wind. They represent popular Tudor Masses - listening today it is easy to see why. The brilliance of this particular collection, however, is the pairing of John Taverner, Christopher Tye and John Sheppard's Masses all based on the Western Wind tune (which is also included). Listening to how each handled similar material - text and tune - is a wonderful experiment in listening, especially given the solid performance of the Tallis Scholars.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

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Robert Schumann: Lieder, Volume IV

Sing Hallelujah [Import]

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Serie de Oro: Grandes Exitos [Import]

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Seasons of Peace