Customer Reviews

'Cantate' Mass and other sacred choral music

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Before I say anything else, I must point out that the earlier review posted for this issue is NOT a review of the 'Cantate' Mass on Hyperion by The Sixteen Harry Christophers. It must have been copied in by mistake, and I hope the author corrects the error.

This Renaissance collection of English liturgical music from a contemporary of Thomas Tallis is as good or better than anything I've heard from Tallis, performed beautifully by 'The Sixteen' and delivering almost two hours for the price of one premium issue CD. All material is in Latin, with an English translation in the notes. To those fond of liturgical music, we find several movements not common in other works or collections, including a Paschal (Easter) Kyrie. Very good addition for the collector of masses.

The reason why I bought this CD was an accident. I was looking at a video of a Sarum (Salisbury) Rite Mass and it featured Sheppard's "Gaude Maria" during the incensation of the altar before the rite begins. I was awestrucked by its etheral quality intensified by the visual impact of the video. Everytime I play the CD I imagine myself in an English Cathedral with its archaic ritual performed by bygone monks and priests. The recording comes in two CDs and even printed on the cover the word "dyad" which is a Greek word for "two" or "double". The overall quality is good except for the ear-piercing altos. I hope they added more alto singers so that the few ones will not strain their voices just to reach the right note. You can even follow Sheppard's musical progression (or regression) from the more elaborate Catholic style of some of the piece to the less extravagant style preferred by newly Protestant England. Compare the Gaude Maria (sung in Latin) against Magnificat (in English). You can actually hear the "monophoniphication" of the Liturgical songs after the Reformation. This collection is a witness to the evolution of the hymns happened during those tumultous times in England. A valuable piece to your collection- if you have enough taste for history and the "sublime musick".

Someone has their Cds mixed up. This is piano music performed by Nicolai Demidenko. Wake up! This CD is great

The John Sheppard experience taken to its theoretical limit by The Sixteen.

Very nicely done, for what is otherwise a fairly boring/uninteresting composition.

Rated Four stars.

Ken Cybulska