Contemporary And Medieval Vocal Music

Featuring

Geoffrey Webber
William Towers
The Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Judith Weir
Anonymous
James Weeks

Bayan Northcott
Michael Finnissy
John Dunstable
Anonymous (Traditional)
Robin Greville Holloway
Jonathan Harvey
Gabriel Jackson

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Recording & Production

Two motets were composed specifically for this recording, and most of the medieval works have been freshly edited or newly reconstructed.

Performer Biography

William Towers, a countertenor featured on this album, was a postgraduate scholar at the Royal Academy of Music and extensively featured as a soloist in Sir John Eliot Gardiner's Bach Cantata Pilgrimage.

Album & Artwork

This album celebrates the relationship between contemporary British choral music and medieval music, featuring new works inspired by medieval compositions.

Performer Biography

The Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, directed by Dr. Geoffrey Webber, specializes in rediscovering forgotten choral repertoires, including previously unpublished music.

Historical Context

The use of medieval music as inspiration for English church music emerged in the second half of the 20th century, notably pioneered by Peter Maxwell Davies.

Cultural Impact

The increasing availability of medieval music through scholars like those of Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century and recording artists like David Munrow's Early Music Consort of London, was a catalyst for a new trend in composition.

Recording & Production

This recording was made in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral, a fine late-medieval building, to benefit from its spacious acoustics, which were important for plainsong and medieval part-music.