The Tallis Scholars: Allegri – Miserere & Palestrina – Missa Papae Marcelli

Famous for its soaring high Cs sung by an ethereal soprano soloist, Gregorio Allegri's Miserere was famously guarded as an exclusive papal secret in the Sistine Chapel until young Mozart transcribed it from memory. The Tallis Scholars' 1980 recording in Merton College Chapel remains the gold standard, balancing the intimate quartet of soloists against the larger responding choir. The acoustic decay after each stratospheric vocal leap gives the music a breathtaking sense of vertical height and pure Renaissance light.