The Whole Music Experience

Stile Antico Passion and Resurrection Harmonia Mundi Stile Antico represents young English vocalists who specialize in renaissance church composers and these vocalists do this quite well.   Every vocalist in the choir possesses an exquisite voice, from hearty altos, to clear-razor sharp sopranos, intense basses and baritones to tenors that rival the famous Irish tenors.   The choir mostly performs the works of English renaissance composers, and similar to another favorite of mine, The Tudor Choir (Seattle), Stile Antico perform the works of Thomas Tallis, whose O Sacrum Convivium appears as track 3.   Those of you familiar with renaissance church composers will recognize John Taverner, William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons also of England.   Rounding off the composers, the vocalists brought in works by three Spanish composers and three Flemish composers with pan-continental styles.   One modern chant by John McCabe (his first recording) is set ...

The Byrd Ensemble (Seattle) Our Lady (Music from the Peterhouse Partbooks) Scribe Records The Tudor period represented a traumatic time in English history.   We are reminded of the vengeance of Henry VIII against not only his wives (plural, he had 6 of them), but also against the Catholic Church.   During his reign monasteries were sacked and musical composers displaced unless they could adapt to composing for the protestant church.   Somehow these Catholic compositions on Our Lady  were saved for posterity.   The church music of this time (renaissance) featured polyphonic and monophonic vocals.   One of the most famous composers of this period of English history was Thomas Tallis, who greatly inspired both the Seattle-based The Byrd Ensemble and the Tudor Choir. While I’ve reviewed recordings by The Tudor Choir, Our Lady is the first recording I’m reviewing by The Byrd Ensemble (formerly The Renaissance Singers).   I’m out of touch...