Fretwork reviews

Fretwork reviews

Byrd 1588 (Consort Songs)

Grace Davidson (soprano); Alamire; Fretwork/David Skinner (Inventa)
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In Chains of Gold

Magdalena Consort; His Majesty's Sagbutts & Cornetts; Fretwork/William Hunt (Signum Classics)
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Jenkins: Complete four-part consort music

Fretwork (Signum)
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In Nomine II

Fretwork (Signum Classics)
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A glorious convergence of ancient and modern from Fretwork

‘The expanded ensemble negotiates the sonorous seven-part delights of Parsons and Purcell with an expansively ear-filling plenitude’
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Harvey conducts Gibbons

When composer Thomas Morley urged performers to draw listeners ‘in chains of gold’, he might well have been reviewing this recording. Under the direction of Peter Harvey, the synergy of the Magdalena Consort, Fretwork and His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts, unveils Orlando Gibbons’s Consort Anthems and In Nomines in all their pious glory and passionate devotion.

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David Skinner negotiates Tallis's polyphony with 'laser sharp precision'

Those of a cynical disposition might be inclined to suspect that Alamire’s tribute to Thomas Tallis runs the risk of shortchanging its listeners: the epic Gaude gloriosa Dei mater is repeated at the end of the CD – albeit sporting the respray of freshly-conceived English words by Queen Katherine Parr – and nearly 17 minutes are given over to a Litany alternating chanted declamation with simple repeating refrains. Repetition, after all, accounts for more than a third of the disc. They couldn’t be more wrong.

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Alamire's tribute to Thomas Tallis with words by Katherine Parr

‘The polyphony is delineated with laser-sharp precision, and (David Skinner) can rely on the singers’ impeccable tuning to energise the most audacious harmonies.’ - Read more...

Tallis

Gaude gloriosa Dei mater; When Jesus Went: O Lord, give thy holy spirit; Hear the voice and prayer; Purge me, O Lord; A Solfinge Song; Verily, verily I say unto you; If ye love me; O Lord, in thee is all my trust; Libera (nos, salva nos); Litany; O sacrum convivium; See, Lord, and behold

Alamire; Fretwork/David Skinner

Obsidian CD 716   75:36 mins 

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