Spem in Alium (Hope in any other) is one of Thomas Tallis’ most beautiful and infamous works. Originally written in 1570 for eight choirs of five voices (S.A.T. B1. B2.) it is considered by many to be one of the greatest examples of early English polyphonic writing. The nine-minute work is a stunning example of imitative contrapuntal writing juxtaposed with sumptuous homophonic textures allowing individual voices to weave within an elaborate and elegant harmonic framework of shifting tone colours. In this new transcription I have rescored the original 40 vocal lines for 40 electric violas placing this renaissance work in a contemporary context.

 

My adaptation was originally presented as an installation at the 2018 Sounds Festival in the Anatomy Rooms of Aberdeen University and featured a specially created sound design by John-Marc Gowans, each individual line played through a circle of 40 separate speakers grouped into 8 choirs of five which surrounded the audience maximising the spatial experience. The work was played continually over a period of two days allowing the audience to experience multiple performances from a variety of listening points.  From the centre, the listener experienced the complete surround sound of the motet. Walking around the circumference in front of the speakers however created a different, more intimate experience, the audience able to listen to each individual line as they passed by. In this way the listener could “remix” the work choosing to stand in a variety of listening points giving each audience member and each listening a unique aural perspective of the work.

 

In this version, a song without words, the listener is perhaps even more aware of the sheer beauty of the contrapuntal writing, and it is perhaps this which gives the work its extraordinary spirituality.

​