Music for All Saints and All Souls

We continue our brand new partnership with St James's Church, Piccadilly with a programme featuring some of the finest choral music of the Portuguese and English Renaissance. Duarte Lôbo was the most widely known of Portuguese composers, his music appearing not only all over Portugal, but in Spain, the Spanish Netherlands and South America. His eight-part Missa pro defunctis (Requiem) displays many features typical of Renaissance Requiem settings, making it one of the most sonorous and beautiful of the Renaissance era.

William Byrd was one of the greatest composers of the English Renaissance, widely admired in his own time both at home and abroad although often facing considerable persecution for his work. The set of Propers for The Feast of Saints (Gradualia, 1605) is the most joyous and witty set of motets that Byrd produced. Although rightly celebratory in style, Byrd also brings an element of sober reflection and consideration – when the Gradualia was published, the joy of the celebration of All Saints would have been tempered indeed for the Roman Catholics.

Programme
Lôbo Introitus from Missa pro defunctis a8
Lôbo Kyrie from Missa pro defunctis a8
Victoria O quam gloriosum
Lôbo Gradual from Missa pro defunctis a8
Victoria Versa est in luctum
Lôbo Offertorium from Missa pro defunctis a8
Lôbo Sanctus from Missa pro defunctis a8
Lôbo Agnus Dei from Missa pro defunctis a8
Lôbo Sanctus from Missa pro defunctis a8
Lôbo Communio from Missa pro defunctis a8
Byrd Gaudeamus omnes (Gradualia for All Saints)
Harris Bring us, O Lord God
Byrd Beati mundo corde (Gradualia for All Saints)
Lôbo Versa est in luctum
Byrd Timete Dominum (Gradualia for All Saints)
Stanford Beati quorum via
Byrd Iustorum animae (Gradualia for All Saints)
Parry Lord, let me know mine end from The Songs of Farewell

Performers
The Sixteen
Harry Christophers conductor