Sheppard: Media vita & other sacred music

Even by the standards of a time and place—Tudor England—in which masterpieces of choral polyphony appear to have been virtually an everyday occurrence, there is something uniquely and intensely compelling about the surviving works of John Sheppard. This is music designed to be sung by liturgical professionals, and none rise to its demands quite like Westminster Cathedral Choir.

CDA68187  79 minutes 45 seconds
‘Westminster pair Media vita with two other six-voice works by Sheppard: the Marian motet Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria and the Missa Cantate. In the generous acoustic of All Hallows, ...
‘The Westminster Choir under Martin Baker give their all in gracefully phrased, controlled performances’ (The Sunday Times)
‘This treble sound is, well, nothing less than ‘ethereal’; I can’t come up with a more appropriate word. Nor can I for the rest of the music on this unforgettable program. The Mass, which the notes ap ...