David Skinner

Review: Alamire won the British Library contract to record the soundtrack for their 2009 exhibition celebrating 500 years since the coronation of Henry VIII. 'Henry's Music' includes a world premiere recording of the contents of MS Royal 11.e.xi (a royal choirbook gifted to King Henry in around 1518), which is to produced in full-colour facsimile by the Folio Society, and tribute motets by Robert Fayrfax, Philippe Verdelot, and John Taverner. Alamire is joined by the cornet and sackbutt ensemble QuintEssential and gothic harpist Andrew Lawerence-King.

Songlist: O Christe Jesu, pastor bone, King's Pavan, England be glad, Consort XII, Madame d'amours, Tandernaken, Salve radix, Psallite felices, Sub tuum presidium, Quam pulcra est, Hec est preclarum, Beati omnes, Consort XIII, O my heart, Helas madame, Though some saith, Nil majus superi vident, Consort VIII, Adieu madame, En vray amoure, Lauda vivi alpha et oo

Review: Philippe Verdelot was the most important composer of Italian madrigals in the early 16th century and recognized as the greatest innovator of the genre. A Frenchman, he occupied several important musical posts in Italy, including the Florentine posts of maestro di cappella at the Baptistry of S. Maria del Fiore and the great Duomo itself. In the mid 1520s, during his time in Florence, a set of part-books were assembled, probably under Verdelot's supervision, for the court of Henry VIII. Most, if not all, of the works were composed by Verdelot. This is the first recording of the complete madrigals in the collection, which stands not only as the most exceptional of diplomatic musical gifts but is also an important source for the history of the early madrigal.

Songlist: Italia mia bench' el parlar', Con l'angelico riso, Quanto sia lieto il girono, Lasso, che se creduto, O dolce nocte, Madonna qual certeca, Afflicti spirti mei, Dentr' al mio cor', Quando nascesti, Amore?, Piove da li occhi, Pur troppo, donna, I vostri acuti dardi, Chi non fa prove, amore, Leit' e madonna et io pur, Con lacrim' et sospir' negando porge, Donna, se fera stella, Ognun si duol' d'amore, Altro non e el mio amor', Madonna io v'amo e taccio, Si suave e l'inghanno, Se ben' li occhi, Cortese alma gentile, Quanta doleca amore, Donna che sete fra le donne belle, La bella donna, Deh, quant' e dolc' amor, Donna leggiadr' et bella, Madonna, per voi ardo, Amor, io sento l'alma, Ultimi mei sospiri

Review: The political intrigue of the early 17th century culminated with the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the beginning of the Commonwealth led by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. Thomas Tomkins, the greatest composer of that age, wrote a pavan for 'these distracted times' shortly after the King's execution. This CD provides a mixture of Tomkin's church and chamber music that soothed troubled souls during these turbulent years. The recording was made in the chapel of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where Cromwell was a student and where his severed head remains.

Songlist: Pavan I, Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, Hear my prayer, O Lord, The heavens declare, Te Deum, A Fancy, Jubilate, O Lord, how manifold, Pavan VII, I heard a voice from heaven, Magnificat, Pavan 'for these distracted times', Nunc dimittis, Pavan VIII, Remember me, O Lord, When David heard, My help cometh from the Lord