It is believed by many that John Taverner wrote his Gloria Tibi Trinitas, a so-called festal mass, in 1520 to celebrate the meeting in June of that year between Henry VIII and French King Francis I. Their historic encounter took place at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, France, to work out an alliance between their countries. At any rate, Taverner's mass is written for six parts, but the In Nomine from its Benedictus was scored for four. Owing in part to its simpler textures and scoring, this piece was adapted in various arrangements for consort and keyboard. Another reason for its instrumental offshoots owes something simply to the beautiful character of the music. One arrangement was for an ensemble of viols, which suits well the lyrical flow of the cantus firmus theme. The In Nomine is serene and gentle, if a bit melancholy, and the notes seem to slowly float along. The lovely theme is presented in the alto voice, giving a mellow quality to the music, another reason the viol scoring works effectively here. Lasting only about two minutes, In Nomine has a mesmerizing effect in either its vocal or better instrumental versions.

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