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Supersize Polyphony
Armonico Consort, Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge
In glorious sound, the Armonico Consort presents a selection of large choral works, with a handful of pieces by Bingen, delivered with delicacy. A total delight.
Supersize Polyphony
Armonico Consort, Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge
Purchase product
In glorious sound, the Armonico Consort presents a selection of large choral works, with a handful of pieces by Bingen, delivered with delicacy. A total delight.
About
Supersize Polyphony is a celebration of large-scale choral works from the 16th century, performed here by the Armonico Consort and the Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, under their musical directors Christopher Monks and Geoffrey Webber.
The unique programme features epic motets, such as Thomas Tallis’ Spemin Alium and Alessandro Striggio’s Ecce Beatam Lucem, alongside his rarely performed 60 part Missa sopra Ecco Si Beato Giorno. Interspersed with the serene beauty of ethereal chants by Hildegard of Bingen, this new recording presents works of magnitude and polyphonic drama in stellar performances by two of the UK’s leading choral ensembles.
Contents and tracklist
Awards and reviews
September 2019
In glorious sound, the Armonico Consort presents a selection of large choral works, with a handful of pieces by Bingen, delivered with delicacy. A total delight.
July 2019
The two assembled choirs turn in one of the fastest Spems I can recall, and none the worse for it, though the contrapuntal detail as the choirs come to a standstill on the final chord gets lost in the wall of sound. That aside, these are workmanlike performances.
9th June 2019
The Armonico and Caius choirs give imposing performances of Striggio’s extraordinary Missa sopra Ecco si beato giorno, for 40 and 60 voices, rediscovered in 2005. Four pieces by Hildegard of Bingen, each sung with poise by a soloist, offer contrasting intimacy.
