Taverner, John (b c.1490; d Boston, Lincs., 1545). Eng. composer and organist. Org. of Cardinal Coll. (now Ch. Ch.), Oxford, 1526-30. One of great polyphonic masters of 16th-cent. Eng. mus. Wrote 8 Masses, incl. one based on secular song The Western Wynde (36 variations, 9 in each of 4 movts.). His Mass Gloria tibi Trinitas was fount of the In nomine form for str.; this came about because the instr. comps. by Taverner called In nomine are transcrs. of the passage in the Benedictus of his Mass which sets the words In nomine Domini. Other composers followed his example and used the same title. Also wrote 3 Magnificats and several motets. Taverner was link between medieval mus. and Renaissance. Maxwell Davies's opera Taverner is based on legend about his life.