Here we have a very fine example of singing and also a reminder of how religious politics of Tudor England influenced their musical life.

John Sheppard's relatively short compositional life covered a period of great change in England. The influential Thomas Cramner (a Protestant who helped the Anglican communion split from Rome and also wrote the Book of Common Prayer) also laid down restrictions about the compositional style that England's subjects should follow as very well illustrated in the notes. It was not the only occasion on which Cramner dictated the style of composition, for he recommended to Henry VIII that "... the song that shall be made thereunto would not be full of notes, but, as near as may be, for every syllable a note..." as well as stipulating the preference for the English language and not worshipping the Catholic saints. Fortunately for our ears, Sheppard outlived this musical "Puritanism" and following the enthronement of Mary I, bequeathed us with some extraordinarily rich works as more austere output.

The opening work "Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria virgo" most likely dates from the time of Mary I as suggested by the use of latin & the rich, melismatic writing. The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge audibly relish this dense and rewarding work that is interwoven by a tenor quasi-plainchant. To balance the length of "Gaude", Andrew Nethsingha programmes a succession of three far shorter works follow: In pace, in idipsum dormiam; The Lord's Prayer & In manus, tuas, Domine. The style of The Lord's Prayer is noticeably more restrained although Sheppard can't resist momentary use of melismatic writing to heighten the contrast.

The centre piece of the disc is the "Western Wynde" Mass. Nethsingha relates in the notes that he purposefully adopts a different style & tempos from other recordings. Although somewhat of a surprise, given such an eloquent response from the St John's choir, this different approach (that is still respectful of and within normal performance practice for the period) is also as enjoyable as those by the Tallis Scholars (amongst others). A pair of basses & tenors get to shine in the four-part "Christ rising again" before Latin makes its return for the remainder of the disc. Throughout, the sizeable forces of St John's are directed with distinction by Nethsingha and the cohesive sound makes the textures admirably clear. Perhaps because the numbers are somewhat greater than for other ensembles in this repertoire, the response to the music sounds a bit "safe" compared to other groups that sing with an almost evangelical fervour.

The sound is beautifully clear and rounded with a pleasing sense of the acoustic that shines a beneficial light on both the music and the musicians.

Although this disc is good on its own terms, if one were to have only one Sheppard disc on the shelves, it'd have to be this collection instead: Sheppard: Media vita - Stile Antico, the best being the enemy of the good and all that!

Copyright © 2013 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

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