John Sheppard

John Sheppard was an English composer of the Renaissance era, active in the middle of the 16th century. He is noted for his significant contributions to sacred choral music during the Tudor period. Sheppard's work is characterized by its complexity and expressive intensity, often featuring elaborate polyphony. He served as a choir master and composer at Magdalen College, Oxford, and later worked at the Chapel Royal. His compositions include Latin masses, votive antiphons, and responds, which were part of the liturgical music tradition of the time. Among his most famous works is "Media Vita," a six-part Latin motet that exemplifies his masterful use of melodic development and textural contrast.