Tallis Scholars
Mother & Child
Meridian Arts Centre, Toronto
14th December 2025
Programme:
Tallis: Missa Puer natus - Gloria
Byrd: Votive Mass of the Virgin
Matthew Martin: Salve Regina
*Interval*
Tallis
: Missa Puer natus - Sanctus and Agnus
Britten: A Hymn to the Virgin
Taverner: Mater Christi
Nesbett: Magnificat
I missed Chanticleer a few years ago so I couldn't miss the Tallis Scholars this time (though Chanticleer is back in 2026...)
The opening prayer (land acknowledgement) was longer & different from usual - it mentioned that the Mississaugas of the Credit came later than other indigenous groups, and talked about protecting the environment and working together in harmony and peace in a productive spirit.
Overall I enjoyed it a lot more than A Medieval Christmas by the Toronto Consort, which I attended 2 years back. Whether due to the time period of songs (Renaissance > Medieval & Early Renaissance), performers, acoustics (old churches < modern concert halls), seating (was on ground floor and it's a small venue so I was quite close to the stage) and/or my mood. Certainly the Tallis Scholars have an incredibly tight sound.
The Tallis mass was split up, maybe so both halves of the performance could have Tallis works. The Agnus was draggy & repetitive.
There was a modern composition (Martin) which started off promisingly with an alto soloing the whole text in a Renaissance style but that was followed by the ensemble doing the rest of the piece in a modern style. The music might be technically consonant but in the same way Neoclassical Stravinsky is - it still doesn't sound good.
The Byrd mass was interesting in that the singers for the first part were a subset of the ensemble.
It seemed to be a more casual crowd, with many clapping between movements. Maybe they were subscribers to the variety of programmes presented by TO Live.
The Britten piece was interesting, with a call from the main choir (6 members singing in English) followed by a response from 4 members in the corner of the stage in Latin. It sounded better than most Britten works too.
The encore was French, which in this period has lower voices than English works and are darker & more somber (vs the bright and high English). Jean Mouton: Salva Nos, Domine.
The director Peter Phillips has been doing this for 52
years! That's some longevity. It's their 18th concert (in Toronto?)
since the 80s. Not all were in the Meridian Arts Centre; the early ones,
yes, when it was under a different name.
