The Spy's Choirbook

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Antoine de Févin, Anonymous, Pierquin de Thérache, Johannes Ghiselin, Jean Mouton, Pierre de La Rue, Alexander Agricola, Josquin Desprez, Franciscus Strus, Heinrich Isaac

Genre:

Vocal

Label: Obsidian Records

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 115

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: CD712

CCLCD 712. The Spy's Choirbook

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
Celeste beneficium Jean Mouton, Composer
Alamire
Jean Mouton, Composer
Adiutorium nostrum Antoine de Févin, Composer
Alamire
Antoine de Févin, Composer
Nesciens mater Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Ave regina caelorum Pierre de La Rue, Composer
Alamire
Pierre de La Rue, Composer
Descendi in hortum meum Josquin Desprez, Composer
Alamire
Josquin Desprez, Composer
Sancta trinitas unus Deus Antoine de Févin, Composer
Alamire
Antoine de Févin, Composer
Vexilla regis Pierre de La Rue, Composer
Alamire
Pierre de La Rue, Composer
Fama, malum Josquin Desprez, Composer
Alamire
Josquin Desprez, Composer
Doleo super te Pierre de La Rue, Composer
Alamire
Pierre de La Rue, Composer
Domine Jesu Christe Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Maxsimilla Christo amabilis Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Sancta Maria succurre miseris/O werder mondt Franciscus Strus, Composer
Alamire
Franciscus Strus, Composer
Sancta et immaculata virginitas Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Missus est Gabriel angelus Josquin Desprez, Composer
Alamire
Josquin Desprez, Composer
Dulcissima virgo Maria Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Tota pulcra es amica mea Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Sancta Maria virgo Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Verbum bonum et suave Pierquin de Thérache, Composer
Alamire
Pierquin de Thérache, Composer
Recordamini quomondo praedixit filium Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
O beatissime Domine Iesu Christe/Fac me de tua gratia ut Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Ave sanctissima Maria Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Ecce Maria genuit nobis Jean Mouton, Composer
Alamire
Jean Mouton, Composer
Congratulamini mihi omnes Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Egregie Christi martir Christophore Antoine de Févin, Composer
Alamire
Antoine de Févin, Composer
Alma redemptoris mater Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Dulces exuviae Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Dulces exuviae dum fata deusque Johannes Ghiselin, Composer
Alamire
Johannes Ghiselin, Composer
Absalon fili mi Josquin Desprez, Composer
Alamire
Josquin Desprez, Composer
Iesus autem transiens Anonymous, Composer
Alamire
Anonymous, Composer
Anima mea liquefacta est Invenerunt me/Filiae Ierusalem Heinrich Isaac, Composer
Alamire
Heinrich Isaac, Composer
Tribulatio et angustia invenerunt me Josquin Desprez, Composer
Alamire
Josquin Desprez, Composer

Almost 50 choirbooks now survive from the copying workshop of Petrus Alamire, who happens to have been active as a political informer alongside his more upfront activities as a singer, composer and music copyist. The lovely choirbook in the British Library has Henry VIII’s coat of arms on the first motet, and David Skinner here proposes that it was a personal gift from Alamire to the king in about 1516 – though nobody has yet convincingly contradicted Honey Meconi’s carefully argued proposal (1998) that it was a diplomatic gift from Margaret of Austria at the end of Henry VIII’s French campaign of June to October 1513.

Either way, what we have here is a complete recording of the entire choirbook in its manuscript order: 34 four-voice motets from the first decade of the century by French and Franco-Flemish composers, giving a magnificent panorama of the repertory. Most of them have never been recorded before.

Most of the music is performed by the mixed voices alone, a small group sounding gorgeous throughout. For a few particularly grand motets they are joined by the wind players, who perform alone in five of the pieces. But perhaps the main thrill is the sequence of five settings of Dido’s last speech from the Aeneid, Dulces exuvie, by La Rue (possibly), Agricola, Josquin, Mouton and Ghiselin, then immediately followed by one of the most haunting motets of all time, Absalon fili mi, ascribed elsewhere to Josquin but now widely believed to be by Pierre de la Rue.

Discover the world's largest classical music catalogue with Presto Music. 

Stream on Presto Music | Buy from Presto Music

Gramophone Print

  • Print Edition

From £6.67 / month

Subscribe

Gramophone Digital Club

  • Digital Edition
  • Digital Archive
  • Reviews Database
  • Full website access

From £8.75 / month

Subscribe

                              

If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.