TALLIS' CANON

TALLIS' CANON

Composer: Thomas Tallis (c. 1561)
Published in 103 hymnals


Printable scores: PDF, Sibelius
Audio files: MIDI

Piano/Organ

Hallelujah, What a Savior!, Vol. 2 (Extr…

Instrumental

An American Tribute - A Suite of Patriot…

Choral

My Master Was So Very Poor

Composer: Thomas Tallis

Thomas Tallis (c. 1505 – 23 November 1585) was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century Tudor England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered one of England's greatest early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English musicianship. No contemporary portrait of Tallis survives: the earliest, painted by Gerard van der Gucht, dates from 150 years after Tallis died, and there is no certainty that it is a likeness. Early years Little is known about Tallis's early life, but there seems to be agreement that he was born in the early 16th century, toward the close of the reign of Henry VII. Little is known about Tallis's childhood and his signifi… Go to person page >

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Tune Information

Composer: Thomas Tallis (c. 1561)
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Incipit: 11711 22314 43322
Key: G Major or modal
Source: Parker's Whole Psalter, c. 1561, adapt.
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Texts

An Evening Hymn

All praise to You, my God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light.
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath the shelter of Your wings.
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Notes

TALLIS CANON is one of nine tunes Thomas Tallis (PHH 62) contributed to Matthew Parker's Psalter (around 1561). There it was used as a setting for Psalm 67. In the original tune the melody began in the tenor, followed by the soprano, and featured repeated phrases. Thomas Ravenscroft (PHH 59) published the tune, with the repeat¬ phrases omitted, in his Whole Book of Psalmes (1621). The Ravenscroft version is the setting that virtually all modern hymnals use for this text.

TALLIS CANON is a round most congregations can easily sing in two parts, especially when women sing the first part and men sing the second. The congregation could also sing the hymn as a four-part round (each entry at four beats). Try also to sing unaccompanied (organists could sound the first phrase of each entry and then sing along).

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

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Media

Baptist Hymnal 1991 #449
Text: All Praise to You, My God, This Night
Christian Classics Ethereal Hymnary #443
  • Four-part harmony, full-score (PDF, NWC)
  • Four-part harmony, full score, Full version (PDF, NWC)
  • Four-part harmony, part score, Simple canonic performance (PDF, NWC)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #441
Text: All Praise to You, My God, This Night
The United Methodist Hymnal #682
Text: All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night
Worship and Rejoice #715
Text: Now Let Us from This Table Rise
Worship and Rejoice #717
Text: Go Now in Peace
Worship and Rejoice #747
Text: Go with Us, Lord
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Instances

Instances of this tune:
No available tune instances
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