William Mundy: Vox patris caelestis

Featuring

Robert Quinney
Choir of New College Oxford
William Mundy

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Performer Biography

Robert Quinney, the director of the Choir of New College Oxford, previously served as Sub-Organist at Westminster Abbey for nine years, performing at national events like the 2011 royal wedding.

Composition History

Mundy's Latin sacred music likely dates from the restoration of the Catholic liturgy under Mary I, as he was too young to have produced much before the Edwardine reforms.

Compositional Technique

In works like the Kyrie and Vox patris caelestis, Mundy switches between different voice combinations rather than maintaining a continuous texture, a characteristic of earlier English polyphony.

Interpretation

The Choir of New College Oxford adopted a performing pitch of A=466, a semitone above modern concert pitch, for this recording, except for one piece.

Composer Biography

William Mundy, the composer, was born around 1529 in London and was Head Chorister at Westminster Abbey by 1543.

Historical Context

Mundy's generation of English musicians came of age during the turbulent 1540s and 1550s, a period of significant religious and political change.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at St John the Evangelist Church, Oxford, UK, on April 12, 14-16, 2024, with Philip Hobbs as the Recording Producer & Engineer.