 2010 | “Fayrfax's Missa Regali ex Progenie and MagnificatRegali are both early works, written before 1504, perhaps to impress his royal patron, and both, particularly the Mass, show signs that the composer had yet to settle into his stride. The longer, wordy movements of the Mass (the Gloria and Credo) seem elusive, as though he were note-spinning rather than weaving the contrapuntal texture, even if the hallmarks of greatness are all there. The Cardinall's Musick, with its by now almost instinctive understanding of his music, gives as convincing a performance as anyone.
The votive antiphon Lauda Vivi Alpha et O, with its coda in praise of Henry VIII, probably dates from the time of or shortly after his coronation in 1509. This extended homage to the Virgin is rich in textural resonances, and a double meaning of 'O rosa gratie redolentissima' ('Most sweetly scented rose') was surely intended. Here the longdrawn- out vocal lines, shifts in scoring, intellectual transitions of harmony of Fayrfax's mature style are much in evidence and the work's richness is given its full due here. There's a striking contrast between this full-blown rose of a piece and the closed, but equally perfectly formed rosebud that is the duo 'That was my woe': it was a long way from ceremonial homage to semi-private entertainment in Tudor London. It's sung perfectly by Robin Blaze and Steven Harrold.” |
