Hugh Benham, editor of Taverner¿s complete works for Early English Church Music, now provides the first full-length study of John Taverner (c.1490-1545) for over twenty years. He places the music in context, with the help of biographical information, discussion of Taverner¿s place in society, and explanation of how each piece was used in the pre-Reformation church services. He investigates the musical language of Taverner¿s predecessors as background for a fresh examination and appraisal of the music in the course of which he traces similarities with the work of younger composers. Issues confronting the performer are considered, and the music is also approached from the listener¿s point of view, initially through close analytical inspection of the celebrated votive antiphon Gaude plurimum.
