Amazon.com With the birth of the Church of England in the mid-16th century came the need for a vast repertoire of music suitable for the new services. One requirement was that texts be in English; another was a demand for greater simplicity to ensure clarity of the words. Weelkes and Tomkins, both of whom belonged entirely to a post-Reformation generation, found this style of composition very agreeable and produced a large number of English anthems that rank among the finest ever composed. This collection contains 10 anthems from each composer, highlighted by both Tomkins's and Weelkes's inspired settings of the text, "When David heard that Absalom was slain." This brief but poignant Biblical account of a grief-stricken David's response to his favorite son's death brought out the best in each composer--but the Tomkins setting is especially dramatic, moving, and heartbreakingly beautiful. --David Vernier