For over 700 years, every hour on the hour, a bugle call has sounded from the tower of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kraków. It’s this fanfare, Hejnaπ mariacki, that forms the punchy opening to The Sixteen’s third volume of Polish polyphony, setting the scene and segueing neatly into the muscular brass duels of Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki’s motet In virtute tua Domine. It’s a lovely introduction to the music of a composer synonymous with Kraków, who spent almost his entire life in the city and was celebrated at his death in 1734 as ‘the last great talent of the Polish Baroque era’.

This sense of location and Polishness is vital because, on a blind listen, you’d be more likely to place this music in Italy than in Poland – a musical legacy and influence already explored in the group’s ‘The Blossoming Vine’. On this latest disc, The Sixteen and their Associate Conductor Eamonn Dougan straddle eras, keeping one foot in the composer’s unaccompanied prima pratica vocal works (strongly influenced by Palestrina) and one in his seconda pratica vocal-instrumental works with their Monteverdi-influenced sonic drama.

The juxtaposition is an effective one, not only giving a vivid sense of Gorczycki’s scope and development but also keeping the ear guessing with its contrasting textures and moods. The centrepiece is the unaccompanied Missa Rorate. Scored for two sets of four voices, the work’s Ordinary enjoys the brighter colours of SATB, while the Propers are scored for ATTB. It’s an unusual approach but one that sustains the drama through this extended setting, and showcases The Sixteen’s balance and blend.

The real excitement here, though, is in the Baroque repertoire: the urgent syncopations of Illuxit sol, passed like a hot potato between excellent soloists; the massive forces and sheer aural spectacle of the Litania de Providentia Divina. This is Italian music with just the faintest Polish accent – another significant find in this ambitious series.