What does Sir Peter Maxwell Davies have in common with Thomas Tallis? Though separated by centuries and style of composition, both English composers wrote music for the Queen. Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis served under Elizabeth I while contemporary composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies serves Elizabeth II.
In today's world of the easily affordable album, musicians no longer have to depend on a few wealthy patrons in order to scrape by a living (unless, of course, the musician is a classical composer, in which case he or she may do well to find a sponsor or 2).
