Ceremony and Devotion: Music for the Tudors
The Sixteen with Harry Christophers conducting
$16.98

Sixteenth-century England was a dangerous and confusing place as Henry VIII, who had split with Rome, was succeeded by his young son Edward VI, then by the ardent Catholic, Mary Tudor, and finally by the Protestant, Elizabeth I. Composers of the day, such as William Byrd, John Sheppard and Thomas Tallis, were required to adapt to rapidly changing musical requirements and it is testament to their incredible skill and musical mastery that they produced such magnificent works in such troubled times.

Music from the Sistine Chapel
The Sixteen with Harry Christophers conducting
$16.98

The choirbooks of the Sistine Chapel, now in the Vatican Library, contain a wealth of magnificent music, not all of it by Palestrina. Felice Anerio displays a fluid mastery of the Roman style of composition, and some of his surviving settings are shown to advantage here, in particular his glorious twelve-part setting of Stabat Mater, more ambitious and possibly more beautiful than those by Palestrina and Lassus. This recording also contains warm and vital performances of Gregorio Allegri's polyphonic style as well as settings by the towering figure of Palestrina.

Venetian Treasures
The Sixteen with Harry Christophers conducting
$16.98

The sacred choral music of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries from Venice, especially that written for the splendor of St Mark’s, has a unique style. From the rich and sonorous sound world of the Gabrielis to the airy zestfulness of Caldara’s contemporary Vivaldi, this was music which dazzled the rest of Europe.