ABSTRACT
Most of John Taverner's works are settings of Latin texts from the services of the pre-Reformation Catholic church, or of other religious words. Polyphonic music was used relatively little, to highlight texts and occasions of special significance, in accordance with the capabilities and requirements of individual institutions. The Mass, the central act of Catholic worship, was celebrated several times, and there were devotions that fell outside the normal services. As no contemporary catalogue of works exists, it is impossible to tell how near we are to possessing all the music that Taverner composed. Words as those of Gaude plurimum may have been written expressly for polyphonic setting at one of the institutions where the composer worked. The Sanctus with Benedictus, which Taverner always set complete, was the culmination of the Preface, which followed the Offertory and associated prayers.
