Robert White (d.1574) was an English composer who lived and wrote in turbulent musical times - born in the early 1530s shortly before Henry VIII embarked on the policies that would lead to a break with the church in Rome and unleash a wave of destruction on English religious institutions and their fabric. Gallicantus is a new vocal group that specialises in works from the Renaissance, with members drawn from the ranks of worldclass choir Tenebrae.Their performances reflect the precision of Tenebrae, combined with a passion and commitment to crafting exemplary interpretations of music they love.
9th January 2010
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“Gabriel Crouch’s group Gallicantus (eight male voices) sing on their first CD with a rapture and clarity made to measure for the Tudor church music of Robert White...Impassioned, exciting music.”
March 2010
“The present recording is sung entirely by male voices and never once is there a loss of clarity, a hint of muddiness (the opening of the Lamentations, though coming at the end of the disc, could stand as a kind of illuminated initial at the beginning of a gorgeous manuscript, so transparent and luminous is it). The music is sublime... White's... mastery of large-scale form (most notably his monumental Miserere mei, Deus, which takes over 15 minutes) is breathtaking.”
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