MUSICA SECRETA & CELESTIAL SIRENS

 

Sacred Hearts and Secret Music

 

Palestrina: Missa Veni Sponsa Christi

Palestrina: Lamentations for Holy Saturday (Book 3)

de Rore: Magnificat Sexti Toni

with additional motets and chants for the Feast of St Agnes

 

The repertoire featured on this disc features material that might have been performed by a convent choir in the 1570’s, in the Ferrara area. Both Palestrina and de Rore were celebrated in their lifetimes as two of the greatest composers in Italy, and both were strongly connected to the d’Este family, the rulers of Ferrara in 16th century. Most of the chants here presented are no longer regularly performed - but nevertheless are some of the most beautiful and haunting melodies to be found in the chant repertoire.

 

The booklet contains full tests, extensive notes and a foreword by Sarah Dunant, author of the novel Sacred Hearts, published by Virago/Random House. The novel is set entirely within a Benedictine convent in 16th Century Ferrara.

 

Musica Secreta were formed nearly twenty years ago to explore the music sung by courtly women and courtesans of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Over time, they expanded this to include music that might have been performed by Renaissance nuns – and indeed in monasteries also. They are at the forefront of performance practice research in this repertoire. Formed in 2003, Celestial Sirens is a select, non-professional female choir committed to the performance of choral works in the style of Renaissance and early modern convents.

 

Divine Art DDA25077