During the brief reign of Queen Mary, the Roman Catholic Rite was restored to English churches at the point of a sword. Anglican excesses such as the Book of Common Prayer (as new as 1549) were deplored, the Latin language returned to the choir and the pulpit, and composers such as Thomas Tallis, who bridged the gap, were required once again to completely shift their compositional focus. Tallis dutifully—and quite possibly with the conviction and enthusiasm of his own personal faith—produced a new body of English Catholic worship music in Latin, following the long traditions of insular music. In four short and turbulent years, Tallis produced a large number of scintillating works in full contrapuntal textures: masses, large-scale votive antiphons, and choral Responds for the principal feast days of the liturgical year. His seven-voiced motet Loquebantur variis linguis is of the latter category, serving the feast of Whit Sunday (or Pentecost) with all due liturgical propriety, and all due splendor.

Though his Loquebantur variis linguis moves expansively across its musical and contrapuntal space, Tallis constructed the piece according to strict liturgical guidelines. He took the liturgically proper plainchant melody to the text (which describes the disciples speaking "in tongues" the wonders of God on the first Pentecost), and he embeds it within the music both as a long-note tenor cantus firmus, and as material for imitative motives within the other voices. Furthermore, he strictly follows the liturgical form of his text, which is a Responsory: ABCB, though he leaves the C section to be sung by soloists or choir in plainchant. Thus, after a chant incipit of the first word ("Loquebantur"), Tallis' complete form goes through two lengthy points of imitation and a jubilant "Alleluia," into a second section that also closes with "Alleluia," to a chant verse (from the Psalms), to a repeat of the second section and "Alleluia." Complete liturgical propriety would then include the Gloria patri and one final Alleluia, a splendid adornment to one of the highest feasts of the Christian calendar.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.