Following on from
their first rate disc for Obsidian Records www.obsidianrecords.co.uk entitled
the Spy’s Choirbook consisting of
motets from a collection held in the British Library and reviewed by me in
November last year, Alamire www.alamire.co.uk
directed
by David Skinner www.alamire.co.uk/david-skinner
now
bring us another fascinating and rewarding collection, this time of 16th
century songs contained in a songbook believed to have been compiled by Anne
Boleyn (c. 1501-1536).
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| 2CD CD715 |
Anne Boleyn's Songbook consisted of works by some of the
greatest composers of the early 16th century, including Compère, Brumel,
Mouton, and Josquin as well as a number of anonymous French chansons and
instrumental works for lute, harp and voice.
The best evidence that connects the songbook to Anne Boleyn is
an inscription, clearly made by an early 16th century hand that says ‘Mistres
ABolleyne nowe thus.’ ‘Nowe thus’ was the motto of her father. It is believed
that the book was gifted to Anne by either the sister of Francis I, Marguerite
d’Alencon or his mother Louise of Savoy whilst Anne was at the French court
attending on Henry VIII’s sister Mary. The manuscript is now kept in the Royal
College of Music in London.
Alamire open with Jean Mouton’s (c.1459-1522) Tota pulchra es
bringing a rich, sonorous sound, highlighting the fine quality of the male
voices of this choir.
The anonymous Venes
regrets, venes tous brings the
solo voice of soprano, Clare Wilkinson accompanied by lutenist Jacob Heringman.
Perhaps one can imagine Anne herself singing this lovely song, sung here with
great intimacy yet with this soprano’s brightly lit voice.
The whole choir enter for the anonymous Fer pietatis opem miseris
mater with a quite exquisite blend of voices that takes a gentle forward
flow with a lovely layering of textures, rising subtly to end.
Josquin Desprez’s
(c.1450/55-1521) Stabat mater dolorosa is a major work to hear in such a
songbook. Here it receives a very fine performance with subtle rises and falls
and a perfect flowing tempo. The rich lower voices add a lovely texture to the
whole choir as they work up some very fine textural passages before a rich,
glorious Amen.
Four anonymous works follow; firstly Laudate Dominum omnes gentes that
proves to be a very fine piece with some lovely weaving of musical lines before
Maria Magdalena et altera Maria where the female voices of Alamire float
in beautifully in the opening, slowly broadening as the whole choir joins. This
is exquisite with some lovely harmonies. There is a lovely rich sonority as Forte si dulci Stigium boantem slowly opens with a nice use of vocal
textures and rising through some very fine passages. The solo harp of Kirsty
Whatley opens O virgo virginum soon joined by the lutenist Jacob
Heringman in this lovely little instrumental piece with some delicate passages
finely played.
The male voices rise up in Loyset Compère’s (c.1445-1518) Paranymphus salutat virginem growing in layers with some very fine,
rich vocal textures and sonorities. Soprano Clare Wilkinson is accompanied by
lutenist Jacob Heringman and harpist Kirsty Whatley for the anonymous Gentilz galans compaingnons bringing a real period flavour with a
fine, distinctive instrumental sound.
There are slowly overlaid voices combining to form a
wonderful sound as Antoine de Févin’s (c.1470-1511/12) very
fine Tempus meum est ut revertar flows
forward. The first of two of Antoine
Brumel’s (c. 1460-1512/13) works given here is
Que est ista which opens slowly in the lower voices,
developing in breadth with momentary pauses before growing in richness and
subtly in dynamics. The male voices create a superb, rich texture with a terrific
control in this gem of a performance.
Josquin Desprez’s
Liber generationis brings more, fine
layering of voices as this work expands in textures with a fine outpouring of
sound. This choir weave through many fine passages of this, the longest work on
this set, with consummate skill and beauty with some exquisitely shaped phrases.
Soprano Clare Wilkinson is joined again by lutenist Jacob
Heringman to open the second CD in this set with Claudin de Sermisy’s (c.1490-1562) Jouyssance vous donneray again bringing an intimate quality with
very fine vocal sounds as well as lovely diction. She is very finely
accompanied with a central solo lute section.
The juxtaposition of solo and choral works on these discs
adds an extra variety and impact such
as here when the choir enters
bringing a glorious sound in the anonymous piece Popule meus quid feci tibi. Their
blend of voices is quite lovely, subtly gaining in strength and power.
Alamire move beautifully through all the little twists and
turns of Mouton’s In illo tempore (Mouton), with finely shaped phrases as
well as a lovely blend of textures, developing some lovely harmonies.
What a glorious, rich opening there is to Brumel’s Sicut lilium inter spinas with deep bass adding texture and weight
and upper voices providing a delicious sonority. Josquin Desprez’s Praeter rerum seriem brings a remarkable, rich deep bass opening, soon layered by the
rest of the choir in a quite stunning performance of this remarkable piece. The
basses keep a rich presence throughout as it flows with a terrific forward
thrust with some remarkably fine singing from this choir.
The final work, O
Deathe rock me asleep is not from Anne
Boleyn’s Songbook but has long been associated with her time in the Tower
of London awaiting execution. Some have attributed the text to Anne but others
argue that it could have been written by any occupant of the Tower in the 16th
century. Certainly the text is very poignant with this melancholy song given a
fine performance by Clare Wilkinson sensitively accompanied by Jacob Heringman.
Alamire are proving to be one of our finest choirs. As on
their last release some of the anonymous pieces prove particularly satisfying.
They are beautifully recorded in the Fitzalan Chapel, Arundel Castle, Sussex,
England and there is a nicely illustrated booklet including notes from David Skinner
as well as full texts and English translations.
Though the total playing time for both discs is around 95
minutes this new release is available for the price of one CD.
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