Album insights
John Taverner, likely born near Tattershall in Lincolnshire, worked as a scribe for the collegiate church in 1525. Advancing his career in London, he was appointed as the Informator Choristarum at Cardinal College in Oxford in November 1526 after gaining recognition. Taverner associated briefly with a group sympathetic to Lutheran ideas at the university in 1527, escaping narrowly from imprisonment. Following Wolsey's removal in 1529 and the uncertain fate of Cardinal College, later re-established in 1532 by Henry VIII, Taverner resigned in April 1530. His life after 1530 remains obscure until 1537, with the last eight years well-documented. Settling in Boston, Lincolnshire, he worked on behalf of Thomas Cromwell, assessing smaller monasteries before their dissolution with care and compassion, contrary to misconceptions about him.
Taverner passed away on October 18, 1545, in Boston and was laid to rest beneath the town's parish church tower.
The music preceding Taverner, such as the grand Magnificats and Antiphons in the "Eton Choirbook," represents the culmination of a predominantly insular culture seen in the major choral institutions of the 15th century. While some of Taverner's work remained rooted in the late medieval tradition, showing influences in form and aesthetics, his later compositions demonstrated a keen awareness of contemporary musical trends from continental Europe. This evolution is evident through systematic use of imitation, clearer structures, and simplified rhythms and melodies.
Taverner’s three festival masses (Gloria tibi Trinitas, Corona Spinea, and O Michael) epitomize the development of this distinctly English genre. Each composed for a six-voice choir, employing high discant voices typical of English music of the time, and incorporating a Cantus firmus. The circumstances surrounding Corona Spinea's creation are somewhat unclear, as its thematic origin linking to the Crown of Thorns feast doesn't align with the Sarum Rite calendar. The origin of the underlying Cantus firmus and the composition's date remain uncertain. Taverner's longest work, Corona Spinea required a large choir with skilled boys for elaborate ceremonies. The discant part is intricately ornamented compared to the others, showcasing Taverner’s skill.
Corona Spinea follows the English tradition by comprising only four movements, reflecting the Sarum Rite practice of chanting the Kyrie as a tropus. The movements are roughly equal in length, with Sanctus and Agnus Dei featuring elaborate melismas compared to Gloria and Credo, where some text portions are omitted. The Cantus firmus in the tenor section serves as the foundation for varying textures in full passages while also supporting sections with reduced voices. Taverner's use of duets and trios features abstract figurations and sequential ostinato patterns, displaying remarkable sophistication and logic seldom matched even by Josquin. The distribution of voices differs from Taverner’s other festival masses, employing two bass parts rather than countertenors for support. Taverner adeptly creates contrast between the highest and lowest voices in poignant moments like the "Et expecto" in the Credo and the beginning of the first Agnus Dei.
Mariantiphons like Gaude plurimum served devotional, non-liturgical purposes, often performed after the completion of Compline. Taverner drew upon established traditions to craft musical contrasts between passages for two or three voices and those for a resonant five-voice choir, providing a sense of direction to this extensive and exalted text. In pace, Taverner’s setting for the Lenten Responsory during Compline, arranged for middle voices, two countertenors, and bass, hinged on a chant form that served as the Cantus firmus within the polyphonic sections.