Thomas Tallis was an English composer mostly known for English choral music. He is considered one of England’s greatest composers. No contemporaneous portrait of Tallis survives; the one painted by Gerard Vandergucht dates from 150 years after Tallis died, and there is no reason to suppose that it is a likeness. In a rare existing copy of his blackletter signature, he spelled his name “Tallys”.

Thomas Tallis set the first lesson, and second lesson, on Maundy Thursday between 1560, and 1569.

The lessons are drawn from Lamentations (Lam. 1, vv.1-2, and Lam. 1, vv.3-5).

Tallis like many other composers included the following text:

• the announcements Incipit Lamentatio Ieremiae Prophetae (“Here begins the Lamentation of Jeremiah the Prophet”), and De Lamentatione Ieremiae Prophetae (“From the Lamentation of Jeremiah the Prophet”);
• the Hebrew letters ALEPH, BETH, GIMEL, DALETH, and HE, that headed each verse in the Vulgate; and,
• the concluding refrain Ierusalem, Ierusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return unto the Lord thy God”).
  Tallis’s inclusion of the refrain emphasises the sombre and melancholy effect of the music.