Tallis entered the Chapel Royal in the middle of a long life, and remained there for over 40 years. During a colourful period of English history he famously served King Henry VIII and the three of Henry's children who followed him to the throne. This book deals with his life and work.

With a career that embraced the turbulent reigns of Henry VIII and all three of his children who succeeded him, Thomas Tallis's importance to the history of Tudor music is second only to that of his colleague William Byrd. Given this widely acknowledged fact, it is extraordinary that this is the first full length book to deal comprehensively with his life and music. The book is organized chronologically, with each chapter treating a period of his life followed by one on the music of that period. John Harley brings all of his considerable expertise to bear on the thorny problem of the dating of Tallis's works. A table places most of Tallis's compositions in a broad chronological order.

"This is a coherent and carefully-thought-out book (...) The new thoughts presented in these essays contribute to an ongoing discussion that has been gathering momentum for some years (...) Harley's book is very welcome: any choir director planning to perform a work by Tallis should consult it." - Richard Rastall, The Consort Early Music Journal, vol.73, Summer 2017