Polychoral music, which uses multiple choirs placed antiphonally, has been used by composers for centuries to create sumptuous and thrilling spatial effects.
Historical Context
Northern Italy, especially the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, was a major center for polychoral music in the 16th and early 17th centuries, influencing composers elsewhere.
Historical Context
One of the earliest documented uses of multiple choirs was at the wedding of Constanzo Sforza and Camilla of Aragon in Pesaro in 1475, associating polychoral writing with special occasions.
Compositional Technique
Polychoral music can take many forms, from simple left-right alternation to complex textures where voices are used for richness or to create antiphonal relationships between high and low voices.
Compositional Technique
While there's no theoretical limit to independent voice-parts, practical problems of coordination and clarity arise beyond a certain number, though masters like Thomas Tallis used 40 voices to create extraordinary sounds.
Recording & Production
This recording was produced by Jillian White and engineered by Campbell Hughes, assisted by Simon Weir, and was recorded in the Great Hall of University College School, London, in February 1993.
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