Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma, was the powerful favourite, or valido, of Philip III of Spain, who dominated Spanish politics at the beginning of the 17th century and, many believe, singlehandedly brought about the beginning of that country’s decline as a major European and colonial power. His credentials as a patron of the arts, however, cannot be disputed: his portrait was painted by Rubens in 1603 and it was during the early years of the century that he rebuilt the village of Lerma accordingly to his ideal of court splendour. To this day this small town is dominated by the collegiate church built by the Duke and it was there that the Gabrieli Consort and Players recorded these two impressive CDs of music that can be closely associated with the liturgical ceremonies held there during the Duke’s lifetime.

The first disc recreates a vespers service as it might have been celebrated during a royal visit such as that in October 1617; the second focuses on the music for the ‘Salve’ service, a well-established tradition in all the major cathedrals and churches of Spain which was generally solemnified by polyphonic or concerted music.

Based on the research of Douglas Kirk (who also plays a variety of wind instruments on the recording) into the music of Lerma and, in particular, on some extant manuscripts of music originally intended for use by the court instrumentalists as part of the liturgical ceremonies in the collegiate church, the selection of pieces and the manner of their performance will take some listeners by surprise. The importance of the role of purely instrumental music in Spanish churches is becoming ever clearer through recent research, but it is not, perhaps, until you hear the documentary and source evidence realised in sound, as it is on this superb recording, that this aspect of the late Renaissance soundworld is recreated for our ears.

Paul McCreesh and Kirk present the sequence of antiphons and psalms that comprise the vespers service with plainchant (often doubled at the lower octave and supported by the bajón or dulcian organ stops) alternating with different instrumental combinations. There is some evidence for this from Guerrero’s instructions to the instrumentalists of Seville Cathedral, though at that time he does not mention stringed instruments – which clearly did form part of the Lerma capilla – and it is less clear that there would have been verses played on solo harp, for example. The Gabrieli Consort are thus given the opportunity to show their considerable skills to the full, and the playing is of the highest standards enhanced by the excellent sound quality.

After this extended alternation of chant and instrumental verses, the large-scale vocal pieces make a tremendous impact: Victoria’s 12-voice Magnificat makes a dramatic intervention and is performed with compelling conviction, and the same can be said for his eight-voice setting of the Salve Regina on the second disc, the voices here being doubled by instruments.

McCreesh talks in the booklet notes of the rare occasions on which ‘musicians experience the joy of a building and its music being in such perfect harmony’ and, though it is all too easy to be influenced by the simple fact that this music is being performed and recorded in the building for which it was written, there is an undeniably special quality to these CDs. It offers an experience anyone interested in or attracted by Renaissance music will want to share.