A superb collection of choral music from Tudor England, performed beautifully by one of the premiere ensembles of early music, including the polyphonic masterpiece “Spem in alium”, composer for no less than 40 individual voices.
“The 40-part motet [Spem in Alium] is one of the most successful items… the same was true of all the complex five-part writing, and therefore of most of the pieces. It is indeed a mighty collection… old favorites such as the popular alternatum Compline hymn ‘Te Lucis’, and the transfiguration hymn ‘O Nata Lux’: its delightful false relations in the final cadence delectably drawn out.” –Gramophone
“this group’s heartfelt expressiveness generally sounds well in the Latin pieces…’the Lamentations’, and items such as ‘in ieieunio’ and ‘Salvator Mundi’ from ‘Cantiones Sacrae’ vividly display their apt textural characterizations.” –BBC Music
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