Polyphony culminates with Bach.

The sound of interweaving melodic lines dominated the popular imagination of Renaissance Europe, an awe-inspiring musical force designed to bring listeners closer to God.

J. S. Bach stands as the culmination of this polyphonic tradition, stretching its harmonic possibilities to breaking point.

World-renowned vocal ensemble The Tallis Scholars showcases this evolution, performing a programme of German polyphonic repertoire specially curated for LFBM 2025 by their Director, Peter Phillips.

From the early polyphony of Lassus, through the enrapturing beauty of Allegri’s ‘Miserere mei, Deus’, we arrive at the all-encompassing harmony of Bach’s ‘Komm, Jesu, Komm’ (BWV 229).

The Tallis Scholars were founded in 1973 by their director, Peter Phillips. Through their recordings and concert performances, they have established themselves as the leading exponents of Renaissance sacred music throughout the world.