For the fourth disc in their planned survey of Robert Fayrfax’s entire works (the first three were reviewed in 6/95, 1/96 and 7/97), The Cardinall’s Musick put the focus around his Mass O bone Ihesu. Tragically, only a single voice survives of the antiphon that was probably its model, so in that respect their recording cannot be complete, unless David Skinner is prepared to indulge in a massive and quixotic task of reconstruction for this and other fragmentary survivals. But fascinatingly we do have a glorious Magnificat built on the same materials, one of the most widely distributed of all early Tudor works.
By far the most commanding performance here is of that Magnificat: wonderfully controlled and perfectly tuned. The group are slightly rougher in the Mass and in the Salve regina – a work that, as David Skinner’s useful note points out, stands rather apart from the style we otherwise know from Fayrfax and which may be one of his earliest surviving works. Intriguingly, this is the piece that seems to show the strongest debts to composers from the continental mainland (especially Brumel), giving important insights into the evolution of his music.
Similarly, the three songs presented here, in performances that are skilled but slightly wooden (as though they were conducted, which should not be necessary), show a remarkable affinity with other mainland music, particularly that of Alexander Agricola. These little three-voice works, with their beautifully evocative texts, are among the glories of early Tudor music, and it is very good to have them on disc.
For some reason Fayrfax has always seemed more crowded, less lucid, than the other great composers of his generation, particularly Taverner, Ludford and Cornysh. These performances go a long way to revealing his importance and individuality; I look forward to the completion of the series.'