Despres: Qui belles amours

September 2008

*****

“Alamire's singing is glorious. Confident, precise and with an almost urgent concision which suits the compactness of the Gloria and Credo.”

2010

“This is a most ingeniously devised Josquin recitals.
Laying emphasis on works of his early maturity, it records the composer's apparent obsession with Ockeghem's rondeau D'ung aultreamer. Josquin reworked it several times, including a Mass that generated several minor 'spinoffs', which are also presented here. The Mass is reckoned to be one of his earliest. It is certainly his shortest, and arguably the least well-known (and some scholars in fact dispute Josquin's authorship). But it has an immediate appeal that links it (in attitude, at least) to the songs that make up the rest of the disc. These are engagingly sung by Claire Wilkinson, accompanied on the harp by Andrew Lawrence-King, who gets a few solo spots of his own. The combination of harp and voice works very well and offers a new way of hearing some old favourites: that said, the sound recording seems to make the harp a touch louder than it might be.
The recital is ingenious because alongside this relatively neglected Mass it seamlessly works in a few sacred works that count among Josquin's most popular: the ubiquitous Ave Maria, virgoserena, and above all Planxit autem David, which receives a particularly moving account. This is the first recording by Alamire, a new ensemble boasting familiar English singers under the guidance of David Skinner. Their approach is direct and unaffected, and to judge by the results they appear to have enjoyed these recording sessions.”

Janurary 2008

“This is the first recording by Alamire, a new ensemble boasting familiar English singers under the guidance of David Skinner. Their approach is direct and unaffected…”