John Taverner


Taverner, John,

c.1495–1545, English organist and composer. He was choirmaster at Oxford from 1526 to 1530. His small body of work—eight masses, 28 motets, and three secular songs—may be considered the high point of development of early Tudor music. Allegations that he abandoned music to spend his remaining years in zealous persecution of the Catholics appear to be unfounded.

Bibliography

See study by D. Josephson (1979).