Josquin to Martin CD

Release on Move Records (MCD277)

The recording consist of a miscellany—works from the High and Late Renaissance as well as the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, representing a selection of the music performed by Ensemble Gombert on its 2004 tour to Europe. It provides a wonderful ‘sampler’ of the diversity of styles the Ensemble is able to sing, and a wonderful record of an unforgettable year in the Ensemble’s history.

Track listing
1. Josquin Desprez – Ave Maria
1. Josquin Desprez – Inviolata, integra et casta es
1. Josquin Desprez – Benedicta es, caelorum Regina
4. Nicolas Gombert – Regina caeli laetare
5. Philippe de Monte – Ave Maria
6. Quomodo contabimus – Ave Maria
7. Johannes Brahms – Drei Motetten opus 110 – Ich aber bin elend
8. Johannes Brahms – Drei Motetten opus 110 – Ach, arme Welt
9. Johannes Brahms – Drei Motetten opus 110 – Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein
10. Frank Martin – Mass for Double Choir – Kyrie
11. Frank Martin – Mass for Double Choir – Gloria
12. Frank Martin – Mass for Double Choir – Credo
13. Frank Martin – Mass for Double Choir – Sanctus
14. Frank Martin – Mass for Double Choir – Angus Dei

Singers

Soprano Alto Tenor Bass
Deborah Summerbell Jennifer Mathers Peter Campbell Jonathan Wallis
Carol Veldhoven Belinda Wong Tim van Nooten Alexander Roose
Fiona Seers Susan Furphy Vaughan McAlley Tom Reid
Maria Pisani Niki Ebacioni Stuart Tennant Andrew Fysh
Claerwen Jones
Helen Gagliano

Christmas to Candlemas CD

Released on Tall Poppies (TP121, 2000)

The title refers to the period between 25 December, the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, commonly called Christmas (when the Church celebrates the Mass of Christ), and 2 February, the feast known as the Presentation of Christ in the Temple or, as it was commonly known in past centuries, Candlemas (The Mass of Candles), referring to the tradition of lighting candles during the singing of the Nunc dimittis before Mass.

The pieces are selections from the ‘Christmas to Candlemas’ concert programs that Ensemble Gombert has been performing annually since 1994. Often billed as “Melbourne’s carol-free Christmas concert”, ‘Christmas to Candlemas’ usually features an array of motets and a Mass setting chosen from the vast array of riches from the High and Late Renaissance.”

1. Jean Mouton – Nesciens mater virgo virum (a8)
2. Josquin Des Préz – Praeter rerum seriem (a6)
3. Andreas de Silva – Puer natus est nobis (a5)
4. Nicolas Gombert – Hodie nobis caelorum Rex (a5)
5. Jacobus Clemens non Papa – O magnum mysterium (a6)
6. Thomas Tallis – ‘Gloria’ from Missa Puer natus est nobis (a7)
7. Tomás Luis de Victoria – Quem vidistis, pastores (a6)
8. Jacobus Clemens non Papa – Vox in Rama (a4)
9. Orlando de Lassus – Omnes de Saba venient (a8)
10. John Sheppard – Reges Tharsis et insulae (a6)
11. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina – Senex puerum portabat (a5)
12. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina – Nunc dimittis (a12)

Singers

Soprano Alto Tenor Bass
Deborah Summerbell Jennifer Mathers Peter Campbell Alexander Roose
Carol Veldhoven Belinda Wong Tim van Nooten Philip Nicholls
Fiona Seers Niki Ebacioni Vaughan McAlley Tom Reid
Maria Pisani Rebecca Woods Stuart Tennant Tim Daly
Claerwen Jones
Kathryn Pisani

 

REVIEW

Noel Ancell, Music Forum, May 2007

While there may not be a word for it, there can be no doubt that there is a condition – particularly suffered by church musicians – of carol allergy. At this time of year we are regaled by countless performances – many of them atrocious – of those traditional hymns pertaining to the Christmas season. Ensemble Gombert has tried to alleviate the condition over many years by presenting ‘Melbourne’s carol-free Christmas concert’ regularly since 1994.

This CD is a compilation of some of the pieces from those concerts. If you are looking for anything like the usual seasonal offerings, forget it. This is a serious, even erudite, exploration of some of the music written for the forty days between December 25 and February 2, the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (otherwise known as Candlemas).

The repertoire comes almost exclusively from the 16th century. As one would expect, there are pieces by Palestrina, Victoria, Tallis, Lassus, and the eponymous Nicholas Gombert, but also gems from the lesser-known Jean Mouton, Andreas de Silva, Clemens (both father and non Papa), John Sheppard and Josquin. While there is a good deal of stylistic similarity, the differences one observes when hearing these composers side by side are fascinating.

The individual vocal characteristics of the singers add to the fascination: the voices are matched, but not blanded (sic), and this enriches the polyphonic textures, clearly differentiating the interweaving lines. The helpful, but not obscuring, acoustic of the Xavier College Chapel, one of the ensemble’s favourite haunts, delivers a range of colour that enhances the experience.

Director John O’Donnell has a wonderful ear for pitch and, apart from a few places at entries, his singers demonstrate habits of intonation that are quite exemplary. Particularly interesting – and well executed – are the characteristic pitch clashes of the works by Desprez and his ilk.

Rhythmically, I wished for more precision. This music abounds in rhythmical subtlety, even ambiguity. But the performances are less exciting than they could have been, especially at moments of transition between duple and triple metre. And what should surely be joyful ejaculations – Alleluia and Noe – are often plain dull.

This is not a CD for the newcomer to choral music, but it is an interesting and valuable addition to the available recordings of music from this period and a relaxing relief from the prevailing fare of Christmas carols.