Christopher Tye was born around 1505 and, like his contemporary Thomas Tallis, he composed music for both the Anglican and the Roman Catholic rites. Not much is known about his early life, save that he was awarded a doctorate in music at Cambridge, having earlier sung as a lay clerk at King’s College. In 1549 he became Master of the Choristers at Ely Cathedral, and Organist 10 years later; he probably died in 1572 or 1573.

This disc offers a good sample of Tye’s music for both denominations. As was customary, the two Masses omit the Kyrie; but there are links between the first item, Quaesumus omnipotens, and the Missa Euge bone: for instance, ‘militamus miseri’ and ‘ut vitiorum voragine devitate’ in the motet find an echo at ‘Jesu Christe’ in the Gloria. The Mass, which may have been Tye’s doctoral submission, is so full of clever contrapuntal devices, including a double canon at the fifth in the Agnus Dei, that it’s a relief to find him committing the solecism of consecutive fifths. The Western Wynde Mass, based on the secular song also used by Taverner and Sheppard, includes some old-fashioned melismas in the two-part writing of the Benedictus.

These are good, sturdy performances. If I have a criticism it is that there’s a doggedness about the boy trebles that becomes wearying. Where the men sing alone, as at ‘Respice in nos’ in Peccavimus cum patribus nostris, the phrasing is much more shapely. But the simple, syllabic setting of Give almes of thy goods and the smoothly flowing Nunc dimittis are beautifully done.