Master Tallis's Testament (Six Pieces for Organ, No. 3)

In this work, composed in 1940, Herbert Howells combines the melodies and harmonies of the Renaissance, personified, so to speak, in the figure of Thomas Tallis (1505–1585), with the sound language of the 20th century. A delicate, catchy theme is repeatedly varied, often in intricate polyphony, gradually building to a climax of almost unparalleled intensity.

"Master Tallis's Testament" is, for me, one of the most captivating organ pieces ever written: its range, from intimate Romanticism to a raw, powerful sound, and its descent back into the quietest realms, reveals the utterly compelling nature of this great music.