Vox Patris caelestis

composer

author of text

after Song of Songs

Recordings

Mary & Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey Choir, James O'Donnell (conductor)

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CDA67704

Mundy: Sacred Choral Music
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (conductor)

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CDH55086 Helios (Hyperion's budget label)

The Sixteen & The Golden Age of Polyphony
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (conductor)

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CDS44401/10 10CDs Boxed set (at a special price)

Details

Westminster Abbey Choir, James O'Donnell (conductor)

Track 2 on CDA67704 [17'26] Copyright holder as reported by MCPS: Public Domain
LatinEnglish

The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (conductor)

Track 5 on CDH55086 [17'45] Helios (Hyperion's budget label) Copyright holder as reported by MCPS: Public Domain

Track 5 on CDS44401/10 CD10 [17'45] 10CDs Boxed set (at a special price) Copyright holder as reported by MCPS: Public Domain
LatinEnglish

Vox Patris caelestis

Vox patris caelestis, inspired as it is by examples by Tallis and Sheppard, can be considered the culmination of the great antiphon tradition, the most grandiose musical form of the century. Typically, it begins with two voices only, expanding to a trio before the full choir enters with éclat; in the second half, now in duple instead of triple time, the solo sections are enlarged in scope, climaxing in a ‘gymel’ (derived from the Latin for ‘twin’) where two equal treble voices soar above the rich accompaniment of double alto and bass. Even in full sections the vocal writing is elaborate and virtuosic, the range daunting; contrast this with the measured grace of Latin anthems like Sive vigilem and Beatus et sanctus, sophisticated examples of the developing Elizabethan motet—tightly controlled and affecting music.

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Hyperion Records