Mark Sealey
MusicWeb International
March 2016

The acoustic of St. Margaret’s Church, York suits this music very well: there is just the hint of reverberation to suggest space around the three voices, and—significantly—to point up the differences in timbre and register between them. On the other hand it does not swamp their delicacy. Indeed, that quality, too, remains with the listener after the hour-long performance.

The booklet is up to Hyperion’s usual high standards with an informative essay on the conductus—particularly the thorny issues of rhythm—brief bios of the singers and the full texts in Latin and French with English.

If this is new music to you and you are fascinated with the often unexpected development of Western music as it feels its way from plainchant to the polyphony of Pérotin, then these three CDs—sadly, this is the last—are for you. If you appreciate pure, fragrant yet confident singing of a repertoire which is as expressive and accessible as it has an unjustified reputation for being ‘remote’, then don’t hesitate. A small but bright jewel.