Name: The Tallis Scholars : East Neuk Festival
Start: 2026-07-03T19:30:00
Location: Bowhouse

Peter Phillips

The Tallis Scholars

East Neuk Festival

Peter Philips directs The Tallis Scholars in music of the greatest beauty, written in times of fear and darkness. The 1590s saw an intensification of the persecution of Catholics in England, and any seeking to worship had to exercise the very greatest caution and discretion. William Byrd’s 3 settings of the mass were intended for clandestine use only – in extremis, they need just a handful of singers. Yet this dangerous undertaking inspired him to astonishing heights: for all its modest scale, this music is sublime and humane, magnificent as well as intimate. Peter Philips pairs Byrd with motets by Thomas Tallis and Philip De Monte.

The Tallis Scholars - East Neuk Festival

Crail Parish Church

The Tallis Scholars perform the music for which they are most beloved and acclaimed the world over. As Gramophone Magazine said of their Byrd recording, ‘it’s the sort of musical bliss which should never stop’. Tallis’s moving Lamentations are interspersed with two wonderfully contrasted settings of the Mass. Byrd’s has a reflective and intense spirit, reflecting the dangers that assailed his fellow Catholics worshipping in 1590s England. But Lassus’ Missa Bel’Amfitrit’ altera is a joyous, flamboyant and spectacular celebration. It is written for two choirs and includes some of his most electrifying, rhythmic and festive music.