There is no shortage of skilled British vocal groups performing the choral music of William Byrd, but this lovely disc of music drawn from the Gradualia collection of 1605 (it would have been composed probably over the previous decade, in the midst of Britain's political and religious turmoil) stands out even among strong competition. It's notable for the organization of the program, the forces used, and the sheer beauty of the singing in mixed-gender adult trios, quartets, and quintets. The Cardinall's Musick, under the ...
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There is no shortage of skilled British vocal groups performing the choral music of William Byrd, but this lovely disc of music drawn from the Gradualia collection of 1605 (it would have been composed probably over the previous decade, in the midst of Britain's political and religious turmoil) stands out even among strong competition. It's notable for the organization of the program, the forces used, and the sheer beauty of the singing in mixed-gender adult trios, quartets, and quintets. The Cardinall's Musick, under the direction of Andrew Carwood, consists of 10 singers, but they rotate through performances in which they are deployed with one voice to a part. This treatment underscores the intimate and somewhat madrigalian qualities of these pieces, which were likely intended for whatever kind of small-scale performances Catholics could get away with at the time. Sample track 10, the Gradual and Tract Diffusia est gratia from a set of Mass Propers for the Annunciation of the Virgin, to get a feel for...
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