The title of this record calls for some explanation. Most (though not all) of the contents of this compilation served as the soundtrack to The South Bank Show's recent documentary on The Tallis Scholars. The recordings themselves, however, are drawn from the choir's existing discography, the oldest of them first released a decade ago, the newest dating from 1988 (the CD numbers are listed above). Assiduous collectors of The Tallis Scholars' records over the years will be able to save themselves a purchase on this occasion. If on the other hand you have nothing of the choir's work on your shelves, then this sampler offers a fine introduction to the riches of its achievement to date. Released at full price, it makes its concession to the pocket in the form of a generous playing-time: few CDs can boast a total of 80 minutes of music.
Listen to the ten tracks in succession and you will realize how little the sound of The Tallis Scholars has changed over the years. Only in Allegri's Miserere, recorded when the choir was still in its adolescence, is there any hint that its origins lie in Oxford undergraduate enterprise. Soon after, the manner of performance settled into its current highly polished state, drawing on a team of singers that has remained loyal to Peter Phillips and his artistic ideals.
Whether such consistency is always to the music's advantage is debatable. Not everyone will applaud the decision to sing an anthem by Tallis in a manner that so closely resembles (for example) the performance of a Mass by Josquin or a motet by Clemens non Papa. But Peter Phillips is not principally motivated by a concern for historical veracity. The Tallis Scholars adapt the music to their own style, rather than adapting themselves to the music. Those looking for interpretations that set out to reconstruct performing traditions of the past should be prepared to turn elsewhere.
Ultimately, one can only congratulate The Tallis Scholars on producing a string of successes that is spectacular by any reckoning. Their William Cornysh record, represented here by a characteristically lissom performance of the Salve regina, should have many listeners scuttling off to buy the album from which the track is extracted. Pater peccavi reminds us that the Clemens non Papa record too is pioneering and great. And Gaude gloriosa generously introduces the uninitiated listener to one of the best Tallis records ever issued. Sample and see for yourself.'