A Beacon of Certainty when Certainty is Impossible

January 11, 2025 2:58 PM

John Sheppard's Media Vita is a monumental work of choral music written in the 1500s. It has been recognized as such only relatively recently with the 1989 recording by the Tallis Scholars led by Peter Phillips. The music and its composer are shrouded in mystery. Only five of the six vocal parts survive and the original manuscript has been lost. Sheppard died in 1557, likely in a flu pandemic. A history, background and musical analysis. Says Phillips: "“It’s seductive, it draws you in, and you just can’t leave it alone; you have to go with it.”"

"“Media vita” starts low, rising as if from catacombs. The tenors begin, sounding the slow, steady chant that will occupy them for more than 20 minutes. Countertenors come in above them, also rising step by step. Then the highest line enters, then another, another, still another, until all six parts take flight — rich yet somehow fragile, even lonely, and full of fear. “Media vita in morte sumus,” they sing: “In the midst of life we are in death.”"

posted by storybored (8 comments total)

Since the election I've been listening exclusively to early music - this genre is beautiful, restful, lonely and hopeful all at the same time. This piece, which I haven't heard before, is rapturous.
posted by bluesky43 at 3:04 PM on January 11 [9 favorites]

Absolutely. Early music has gotten me through some very hard and dark times in my life, and "Media vita" is one of my favorites.
posted by Kat Allison at 3:11 PM on January 11 [5 favorites]

....beautiful, restful, lonely and hopeful all at the same time. This. It's mysterious how the music can conjure such a treasure of emotions.
posted by storybored at 3:28 PM on January 11 [3 favorites]

I was lucky enough to see (hear!) the Tallis Scholars in London a couple years ago. They're amazing.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 5:06 PM on January 11 [1 favorite]

One of my favorite things in life is posts like these. I’ve never heard of this piece and oddly have not really listened to this particular genre. So now I have been given something new and beautiful to discover tonight, complete with some context and links to more.

Thanks very much!
posted by cybrcamper at 6:05 PM on January 11 [1 favorite]

BBC's Early Music Show
posted by Pouteria at 6:19 PM on January 11 [2 favorites]

I don't think I'd enjoy singing that tenor part.
posted by cyanistes at 1:04 AM on January 12 [1 favorite]

I love these compline settings by Sheppard of In Manus Tuas.

In manus tuas I
In manus tuas II & III
posted by straight at 9:17 AM on January 22