Thomas Tallis

Imagine that you are performing to King Henry VIII or Queen

Elizabeth I. You are going to play something that you composed.
You wonder if the King/Queen will like it. Someone in history did
this exact same thing. His name was Thomas Tallis. Thomas Tallis
was an English composer in the Renaissance era. His greatest
achievement would be composing for King Henry VIII, King
Edward VI, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I. Historians arent
quite sure when Thomas Tallis was born, but they narrowed down
the years to the year 1505. Not much is known about Tallis
childhood, but historians have found suggestions that say that
Thomas Tallis was a Child (boy chorister) at Chapel Royal, St.
James Palace. While Tallis was undoubtedly composing before he
entered the Chapel Royal - Missa salve intemerata, for example,
was written by the young composer in the late 1520s or early
1530s, (Thomas Tallis Biography). His role in the Renaissance
was a musician. He would compose songs for the church, but he
was an unreformed Roman Catholic.
What made Thomas Tallis famous would be that he
composed for King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary, and
Queen Elizabeth I. He was sent to court as Gentleman of Chapel
Royal. Tallis was capable of switching the style of his
compositions to suit the different monarchs' vastly different
demands (Thomas Tallis). Thomas was also an organist at Dover
Priory and at Canterbury Cathedral. Queen Elizabeth gave Tallis a
monopoly for polyphonic music and a patent to print and publish
music. This was one of the first arrangements of that type in the
country. He had exclusive rights to print music in any language he
wanted. He usually composed music in English, French, Latin, and
Italian. Thomas Tallis died on 23 November 1585. He was buried
in the chancel of the parish of St. Alfege Church in Greenwich.
Thomas Tallis was an excellent English composer in the
Renaissance era.