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Peter Phillips

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Peter Phillips is a British choral conductor, musicologist and writer. He was born in Southampton in 1953 and studied organ and music at St John's College, Oxford. There he laid the foundations of the ensemble with which his name is associated: The Tallis Scholars. The first concert took place on 3 November 1973 in a church in Oxford. The choir consisted of singers from the great Oxbridge chapels and from the start chose an individual repertoire that explored forgotten corners of English and continental polyphony.

Music and breakthrough

In 1980 Phillips founded the record label Gimell. With it he filled gaps in the catalogue with seldom-recorded composers such as Cardoso, White, Gombert and Fayrfax. In 1987 a recording by the Tallis Scholars won the Gramophone Record of the Year award. That was the start of a project that lasted until 2021: all the masses of Josquin des Prez on disc, in honour of the five-hundredth anniversary of the composer's death. The discography also includes masses by Palestrina, requiems by Victoria and works by Byrd and Tallis, often with a pure, clear sound that lets every voice be heard.

Influence

Phillips also worked with living composers, above all John Tavener, whom he met in 1977. Later Eric Whitacre, Nico Muhly and David Lang, among others, were added. His choir gave most of its concerts outside the United Kingdom and introduced a large audience to Renaissance polyphony.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Spem in alium by Thomas Tallis as performed by the Tallis Scholars and try to hear how the voices move through the space like waves. Notice how clear every singer remains, even as the sound builds.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists