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Question
#51271. Arpeggionist
asks:
What exactly is the tune by Tomas Thallis that Vaughn Williams developed in his Fantasia? Are there particular words to the hymn?
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Brainyblonde
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The theme that Vaughan Williams used to such great effect was the third of nine tunes Tallis composed in 1567 as part of a psalter for the first Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Matthew Parker. The words Tallis set to this tune are as follows :
"Why fum'th in fight the Gentiles spite, in fury raging stout?
Why tak'th in hand the people fond, vain things to bring about?
The Kings arise, the Lords devise, in counsels met thereto,
against the Lord with false accord, against His Christ they go."
By all accounts, RVW had come across the Tallis psalter tunes whilst editing The English Hymnal.
 http://www.agentsmith.com/rvw/guides/tallis.html
One of them was his acquaintance with the 'Third Psalter Tune', associated with Addison's hymn "When, rising from the bed of death" (No. 92 in the English Hymnal). This became the basis of the Fantasia.
http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/v-w/tallisfantasia.html
Sep 27 04, 9:00 AM
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mibmob
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Interestingly enough the tune that RVW uses is the descant, the "tune" of the hymn being in the tenor part as was the case during that time and as people like Billings wrote.
Sometimes it is nice to get a question where one actually knows something to share!
Sep 27 04, 10:35 AM
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