Orlando Gibbons' 'If ye be risen again with Christ' is a verse anthem in other words it's an anthem that consists of solos or duets for one or more voices, usually from the start of the work as here, interspersed with short choral passages that augment the solos. I've always enjoyed listening to this particular anthem and when the soloists are two trebles as talented as the boys singing here it is a soaringly beautiful piece of music. Enjoy :-).
marfkromireland
Click here to listen to the music and read the rest of the posting ...
1688 was a good year for Purcell fans such as myself for it was in 1688 that the finest of his devotional songs were written, collected, and published in Harmonia Sacra. Purcell's setting of William Fuller's poem incorporates so many changes made by Purcell that fully half of the words in the setting are by not by the author of record but rather by Purcell himself acting as composer-turned-poet the result is a far more moving and poignant text than Fuller's original, more poignant, more contemplative, and far less optimistic than Fuller's original. Something within Purcell responded to darker texts and moods and spurred to produce some of his most beautiful music. Beautiful and very difficult to sing music, Purcell plainly had an excellent treble soloist in mind when he was composing this and we're fortunate that in the recording below the singer is the excellent Nicholas Witcomb whose singing abilities were more than equal to the occasion.
Byrd's five-part setting of the Compline hymn 'Christe qui lux es et dies' (Christ, who art the light and day) is unique amongst his compositions. Its only source is the beautiful and useful collection of Tudor musical manuscripts copied by Robert Dow in 1580 into his celebrated 
Angelus Domini descendit (The angel of the Lord descended) is one of a number of short Paschal motets Byrd composed to be sung during the Offertory of the Mass on Easter Monday and Low Sunday, as befitted the new circumstances in which the recusant community found themselves it could also be used for extraliturgical personal or family devotions. The text is an adaptation of Mathew 28: 2-5, it's sung below by the Cardinall's Musick conducted by Andrew Carwood. The Latin text and an English translation are both below the player. Enjoy :-).
