John Sheppard is a mysterious figure in 17th century English music; born around the time Henry VII defeated the Scots at the Battle of Flodden Field, no record of him is known until the time of the Third Succession Act of 1543, when he is identified as a choral instructor at Oxford. In 1548 Sheppard was named a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal and worked side by side with Thomas Tallis to create both English service anthems during the reign of Edward VI and Catholic service music in the service of Mary Tudor. Sheppard's ...
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John Sheppard is a mysterious figure in 17th century English music; born around the time Henry VII defeated the Scots at the Battle of Flodden Field, no record of him is known until the time of the Third Succession Act of 1543, when he is identified as a choral instructor at Oxford. In 1548 Sheppard was named a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal and worked side by side with Thomas Tallis to create both English service anthems during the reign of Edward VI and Catholic service music in the service of Mary Tudor. Sheppard's greatest achievements were made in Latin settings, and he barely survived as an outbreak of the plague in 1558 carried him off. While his surviving output is not insubstantial, none of it was published in his lifetime and many of the source manuscripts are lacking elements and require patient editorial attention. This is partly why Sheppard is considered off the beaten track while Tallis is the best-known English composer of his era. However, Sheppard's music is of equal merit, a case...
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