The Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems is a collection of vocal scores of music from the Tudor era of England (c.1550-1625). It was published in 1978 by Oxford University Press and was compiled by the organist and publisher Christopher Morris (1922-2014), the editor of OUP who also was involved with the popular Carols for Choirs series of books in the 1970s. The preface was written by Sir David Willcocks.
Oxford University Press had previously published a 10-volume anthology Tudor Church Music edited by Sir Percy Buck.
Recording A recording was issued in 1979, Tudor Anthems (OUP 153), featuring 13 anthems from the Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems sung by the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and conducted by Simon Preston.
Contents The collection encompasses 34 motets and anthems by 14 different composers who were active during the Tudor period, sometimes referred as "the Golden Age of English church music", which spans from around 1500 to the end of the reign of King James VI and I in 1625.David Willcocks in his preface to This period in English history was especially marked by the religious upheaval of the English Reformation, which was advanced by King Edward VI. With competing demands over the language of Church of England liturgy, composers of this era variously set both Latin and English texts to music, and this is reflected in the range of works presented in this book. The later anthems in English take their texts from the King James Bible which was commissioned in 1604, but words from earlier Bible translations such as the 1526 Tyndale Bible and from prayer books such as the 1549 Book of Common Prayer are also included. A variety of musical styles is represented in the collection, from simple four-part harmony to more elaborate polyphonic motets for up to eight voices, including both a cappella pieces and anthems requiring instrumental accompaniment.
Sources for this collection include a set of partbooks from the British Library, copied by Thomas Myriell and entitled Trisitiae Remedium (1616), and partbooks sourced from the libraries of Christ Church, Oxford (c.1620) and St Michael's College, Tenbury (c.1615).
Number Composer Anthem 1 Thomas Weelkes Alleluia. I heard a voice 2 Orlando Gibbons Almighty and everlasting God 3 Peter Philips Ascendit Deus 4 Robert Parsons Ave Maria 5 William Byrd Ave verum corpus 6 Richard Farrant Call to remembrance 7 Richard Dering Factum est silentium 8 Christopher Tye Give almes of thy goods 9 Thomas Weelkes Gloria in excelsis Deo 10 William Byrd Haec dies 11 Richard Farrant Hide not thou thy face 12 Orlando Gibbons Hosanna to the Son of David 13 Thomas Weelkes Hosanna to the Son of David 14 Thomas Tomkins I heard a voice 15 Thomas Tallis If ye love me 16 William Byrd Justorum animae 17 William Byrd Laetentur coeli 18 Thomas Mudd Let thy merciful ears 19 Richard Farrant or John Hilton Lord, for thy tender mercy's sake 20 William Byrd Miserere mei 21 Orlando Gibbons O clap your hands after Psalm 47 22 Thomas Weelkes O Lord, arise 23 Orlando Gibbons O Lord, in thy wrath 24 William Mundy O Lord, the maker 25 Thomas Tallis O nata lux 26 Adrian Batten O praise the Lord 27 William Byrd O quam gloriosum 28 Thomas Tallis Salvator mundi 29 William Byrd Sing joyfully 30 William Byrd Teach me, O Lord 31 William Byrd This day Christ was born 32 Orlando Gibbons This is the Record of John 33 Thomas Tomkins When David heard 34 Thomas Weelkes When David heard
See also List of Anglican church composers List of Renaissance composers Drexel 4180–4185 Oxford Book of English Madrigals
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Source of cover art by William Camden (1551–1623):