This Christmas album was recorded in the midst of a balmy summer, with the performers donning Christmas hats and hanging decorations to create the festive atmosphere.
Performer Biography
Sophie Bevan, a soprano in the consort, is recognized as a leading lyric soprano of her generation and was made an MBE for services to music in 2019.
Recording & Production
The album includes several premiere recordings, such as Palestrina's Missa sine nomine a5 and Imogen Holst's setting of "The Virgin Unspotted."
Performer Biography
Francis Bevan, an alto in the consort, is an editor of early music who founded The Polyphony Database, an open-source catalogue of early music resources.
Compositional Technique
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina's Missa sine nomine a5, a centerpiece of this album, is one of his five canon masses, where two voice parts sing the same music a few beats and pitches apart.
Composer Biography
Imogen Holst, whose "The Virgin Unspotted" is recorded here for the first time, was a close friend and collaborator of Benjamin Britten, working as his copyist while also composing.
Performer Biography
Mary Bevan, a soprano in the consort, is an internationally renowned artist in baroque, classical, and contemporary repertoire, and was awarded an MBE in 2019.
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