An 18-year-old recording of Renaissance music is enjoying a renaissance of its own thanks to a best-selling novel.

“Spem in Alium” …..or “Hope in Any Other” …. was composed in 1570 by Thomas Tallis and recorded in 1994 by the Tallis Scholars. Its sudden re-discovery is due to the hottest-selling book to come along in years. “Fifty Shades of Grey” is an erotic novel by British author E.L. James. It and its two sequels have occupied the top three spots on best-sellers lists for weeks.

One of the characters in the novel is a fan of “Spem In Alium,” and its mention was all it took to push the recording to the top of several classical music charts, including ITunes and the UK listings.