Last night, The Tallis Scholars completed the final concert of their 2025 Australian tour in the Concert Hall of Sydney Opera House. It marks the end of their 11th tour of Australia, not nearly enough times, according to the audience.
Founded in 1973 in London, UK, Director Peter Phillips is still out front on stage doing what he does best. His impeccable direction has produced a consistently high standard so exceptional, that the group are renowned throughout the world. Specialising in Renaissance sacred music, they’ve coaxed the ancient manuscripts out of the churches and into theatres and concert halls for a new, appreciative audience. The Tallis Scholars can now boast more than 2500 concerts and more than an astounding 70 albums.
This “habit” of regular recording has helped shape a technique unsurpassed in accuracy and unity. The voices blend perfectly with not one grating against the rest. They are so perfectly matched.
The program for this tour featured a mix of old and new music. It reached as far back as the 12th Century with female composer Hildegard von Bingen, moving through 15th to 17th Century composers Padilla, Jacob Borecht, Josquin de Prez and the familiar Gregoria Allegri, right up to modern day, living Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and his re-imagining of the genre.
Opening the evening was Padilla’s “Deus in adiutorium”, a magnificent beginning with the whole group on stage bouncing a call and response from one side to the other. The tones of the ensemble were so crystal clear and refined, the writers scalp was prickling with delight.
Von Bingen’s 4 chants interspersed the other works, performed by 3-4 sopranos in absolute unison directing themselves imperceptibly. Each chant was the ultimate feminine, pure sound which at once felt at home and brought great comfort.
The first work by Arvo Pärt, “Triodion“, was performed in English. Starting in a conservative way, then opening up to a crescendo, the phrases featured short sung notes that left the resonance sailing up beyond the hanging rose petals in the Concert Hall to the roof. There were parts of dissonance that always resolved as if to return to home base. Throughout the concert there was barely any sound from the audience. They were enraptured. Each time a work was complete, there was much applause. Director Phillips would walk to the side and stand at the end of the line, humbly receiving the appreciation equally with his singers.
After interval was the most famous piece many were waiting for, “Miserere Mei, Deus” by Allegri. Allegedly written in the early 1600’s it was initially coveted by the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. Evidence of it being performed in other countries has been gathered from the early 1700s so there may have been some significant amount of time when the work was hidden from the rest of the world.
Phillips had the group separated into subsets. One group of 5 singers centre stage, a tenor soloist up in the boxes stage right and another group up in the grand circle. This stereophonic effect is something that cannot be duplicated by listening to a recording. The perfection of the live singers’ surround sound sent every listener heaven bound with shivers, tears and upward turned eyes searching beyond the organ pipes of the hall high above the stage. Despite being a highly disciplined performance, there was still a little room for expression which set this version aside from many other interpretations. The standing ovation was well deserved. The audience loved it.
Listen to The Tallis Scholars perform Miserere Mei, Deus by Allegri here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06NsfHIXBYc
Another highlight from the second half was the bell like quality of Arvo Pärt’s “Da Pacem Domine“. A touch of modern style gently presented.
Over all, the selection of works glided smoothly between centuries without any jarring. The performance left the audience blown away. Comparisons of what heaven must sound like were everywhere.
At the close of the concert, Phillips returned to the stage with a microphone. He pointed out that one of the basses on stage was, in fact a new recruit, brought in last minute to replace a singer who could not attend the tour. This was Lachlan McDonald borrowed from the Consort of Melbourne. He also highlighted soprano Emma Walshe who performed all the Top C’s in Allegri’s Miserere Mei. As she had been out of sight for the majority of the audience in the Grand Circle group, there was much enthusiastic applause for her amazing voice.
Phillips wanted to give credit to the “two guys” who had organised their Australian concerts since their first tour in 1985. Tony Grybowski and Timothy Matthies decided to get together one more time to organise this tour marking 40 years of glorious music making by The Tallis Scholars just for Australians.
Phillips also got a laugh at dropping in a little shameless self promotion for his first book “The Blue French” available here: https://www.thetallisscholars.co.uk/peter-phillips
He roughly described it as set in a North London restaurant where Performers meet, gossip and argue between rehearsals. After more than 50 years of performing, Phillips is bound to have a plethora of great stories he could choose between to make an entertaining read.
Artists
Director – Peter Phillips
Soprano – Amy Haworth, Emma Walshe, Daisy Walford, Victoria Meteyard
Alto – Caroline Trevor, Elisabeth Paul
Tenor – Steven Harrold, Tom Castle
Bass – Tim Scott Whiteley, Lachlan McDonald
Program
PADILLA – Deus in adiutorium
HILDEGARD VON BINGEN – In principio
ARVO PÄRT – Triodion
HILDEGARD VON BINGEN – O Virtus Sapientiae
JACOB OBRECHT – Salve Regina
——
GREGORIA ALLEGRI – Miserere mei, Deus
HILDEGARD VON BINGEN – O ignis Spiritus paracliti
ARVO PÄRT – Magnificat
ARVO PÄRT – Da Pacem Domine
HILDEGARD VON BINGEN – O ecclesia
JOSQUIN DES PREZ – Praeter rerum
All photos credited to Jay Patel and the Sydney Opera House.
Related Links
More about The Tallis Scholars: https://www.thetallisscholars.co.uk/
What’s on at Sydney Opera House: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whats-on
Learn about their namesake, Thomas Tallis: https://www.medieval.org/emfaq/composers/tallis.html
