sacred and beautiful music - spem in allium

composer thomas tallis, was born five hundred and three years ago in england. he is described as a prolific composer of sacred music and certainly i number amongst my favourite pieces of sacred music from any culture or religious/spiritual persuasion his composition “spem in allium”.

“spem in allium” is one of the more extraordinary experiences i have had the pleasure of hearing in terms of works for the human voice. it’s hard to imagine the effect this piece of music must have had at the time it was first presented, consisting as it does of eight five-part choirs layering phrases over and around other phrases creating an extraordinary and in some ways sonically and spiritually overwhelming experience.

i heard some of tallis’ music when i attended evensong a very long time ago in yorkminster in the city of york in england. the delay between a sound being made and its echo returning from the highest point of yorkminster is several seconds so the most amazing effect can be achieved when a choir sends music into the vaults which then returns layered upon the next phrase and so on......

a page has been devoted to providing choirs with the sheet music for this lovely piece of music.

here is the latin text for spem in allium . . . .

spem in alium nunquam habui præter in te, deus israel:
qui irasceris et propitius eris,
et omnia peccata hominum in tribulatione dimittis.
domine deus, creator cæli et terræ,
respice humilitatem nostram.

which appears in english as this . . .
i have never put my hope in any other but in you, God of israel,
who will be angry and yet become again gracious,
and who forgives all the sins of suffering man.
lord God, creator of heaven and earth,
look upon our lowliness.

this is music that defines the space it is heard in and so i recommend that you listen on headphones or in a peaceful space that allows you to focus on the many layers of appearing and disappearing voices and phrases!

here then is spem in allium . . . .