Tallis Scholars Perform Liturgical Pieces Reverently

Though the redoubtable Tallis Scholars probably sound wonderful anywhere, they are particularly at home in the buildings for which their repertory was written--churches.

With that in mind, the Da Camera Society of Mount St. Mary’s College, in its Chamber Music in Historic Sites series, placed these 10 early-music singers in the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles Saturday afternoon--exactly where it last presented them nine years ago. It’s not a particularly reverberant church, especially with the main-floor seats filled, but it gave the group’s voices an extra bloom that was not noticeable at its Royce Hall concert last December.

Also, the Tallises performed a program more geared to the Christmas season, with the centerpiece being a striking seven-voice Mass, “Missa Puer natus est nobis” (“A boy is born unto us”) by Thomas Tallis. Though just a liturgical torso--the Credo is missing, and the Agnus Dei and seventh vocal part had to be reconstructed--it is still an exhilarating display of 16th century polyphony, especially when taken at director Peter Phillips’ fast tempos.

Phillips also devised a dramatically effective preface to the Mass--a lilting carol, “Angelus ad virginem,” in which the Virgin Mary’s fears are calmed by an angel, followed by the plainsong announcing the birth of Christ upon which the Mass is based.

The second half of the program found the Tallis singers alternating chants in between one of Obrecht’s Salva Reginas--which Phillips believes to be the first piece ever written for six voices--another Salva Regina for eight voices by Victoria, and an intricate Ave Maria by Robert Parsons.

As at Royce, Hieronymus Praetorius had the last word with the carol settings “Joseph lieber” and “In dulci jubilo.”