Victoria: AVE MARIS STELLA

This re-release is another addition to David Hill and Westminster Cathedral Choir’s glorious Victoria catalogue. In these exemplary performances the choir demonstrate their sublime musicianship, sensitivity and faultless intonation.

A fitting tribute on the four-hundreth anniversary of this iconic composer’s death.

Rec-date: 2010

The vocal works on this recording would hardly have been sung by the pilgrims en route, but instead in the large cathedrals situated along the Camino to Santiago de Compostela. As a result, this repertoire is more an expression of sophisticated choral culture and less a reflection of the needs of individual pilgrims and is more at home within a liturgical setting rather than in the pilgrims’ hostels. The high quality of the music shows the standing of St James for the believers in Europe over the last 1000 years. The Schola Bamberg was founded in 2002 for the performance of special projects at Bamberg Cathedral, one of the most famous Romanic Cathedrals in Germany. The choir comprises of singers who pursue careers both as soloists in their own right and as members of renowned European vocal ensembles, such as the Collegium Vocale Gent or Singer Pur. It is directed by Domkapellmeister Werner Pees who has himself followed the pilgrimage route to Santiago several times.

A meditative album of music linked to the Sherborne missal, an important manuscript associated with Sherborne Abbey which celebrates its 1300th anniversary in 2005. Sung by Magdala, Oxford's leading mixed-voice choir, it contains both gentle plainchant and magnificent full-bodied choral music with Renaissance masterworks by some of the greatest composers of their age.