Tye, Christopher

▪ British composer

born c. 1505

died 1572?

      composer and organist who was an innovator in the style of English cathedral music perfected by Thomas Tallis (Tallis, Thomas), William Byrd (Byrd, William), and Orlando Gibbons (Gibbons, Orlando).

      Very little is known of Tye's early life, but the first verifiable documentation states that he earned a bachelor of music degree in 1536, became a lay clerk in 1537, and received the doctor of music degree in 1545 from King's College, the University of Cambridge. In 1548 he received a doctoral degree in music at the University of Oxford. From 1543 until 1561 he was choirmaster at Ely Cathedral. He was ordained in 1560.

      Tye, like Tallis, bridged the mid-16th-century change of musical style and of liturgy (from Roman to Anglican) in England. Much of his Latin church music (liturgical music) is incomplete, but three masses survive. His other surviving works include 14 English anthems (anthem), 2 Magnificats (Magnificat), a Te Deum (Te Deum laudamus), several motets (motet), psalm settings, and pieces of music for instrumental ensembles, including 19 works based on the plainsong fragment In nomine.

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