Dowland: Sir Henry Umpton's Funeral

"Beer and the viola da gamba both arrived in England in the space of a year, in the reign of King Henry VII”, wrote Henry Peacham. And yet it was not until the following reign, that of Henry VIII, that the latter instrument gained its noble status. The high point, however, occurred in the long reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603).

The consort song had its origin partly in the theatre, partly in madrigals inspired by the Italians, then very much in vogue. Fashionable English composers write songs, airs and dance pieces that would embody this uniquely English phenomenon; among them John Dowland and Anthony Holborne, who feature prominently on this disc, both leading figures in Elizabethan music. With his ensemble Musicall Humors, Julien Léonard has managed to create a viol consort of astonishing homogeneity, offset by the delicate presence at times of a lute, at times of a cittern, a harpsichord, the virginals or organ. The sonorities are round, warm, velvety, and for her first solo disc, the voice of Eugénie Warnier lies with unforced delicacy upon this instrumental duvet.

Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, the King's Singers and Concordia illuminate the dangers of hearing Mass in secret, of conspiracy and downfall and of Protestant relief and great joy. Structured around Byrd's perfect 4-part Mass, the CD contains motets by Catholic composers, Protestant anthems celebrating the downfall of the plot and a commission from the British composer, Francis Pott, Master Tresham: His Ducke. A script, drawing on historic texts, reproduced in the CD booklet, uses the dramatised persona of Byrd to recreate the atmosphere of change and hope in the Jacobean court.