A solis ortus cardine
Vox patris caelestis
Videte miraculum
Kyrie
Sive vigilem
Magnificat
O Lord, the maker of all thing

Ah ... Complexity within simplicity. Infinity within transience. God within the details.

The music of English musician and composer William Mundy (c. 1529-1591), much like the music of his contemporaries Tallis, Byrd, Taverner, et al, was the be-all and end-all behind the stupendous awakening and blossoming not only of music, but also philosophy and art during the Renaissance. By grasping for something beyond human reach, with elemental skills and tools at their disposal, these composers elevated music to one of its highest points in its evolution.

There are moments in this music where Mundy's development skills are boundless. For example, within the 20 minute Vox patris caelestis (on a scale approaching the symphonic - booklet notes) laid out over six parts, where the music expands almost endlessly and grows concertedly until it reaches its natural harmonic resolution.

Generally speaking, I've found that choirs who perform this type of polyphonic music tend to be top-heavy with too much emphasis on the treble voices, which inevitably leads to ear fatigue. In the booklet notes organist and director Robert Quinney explains: "The size and disposition of the choral foundation at New College has changed little since the early fifteenth century. We cannot know, of course, how sixteenth-century choirs sounded, but choirs such as ours represent a continuous tradition of performance that both predated and survived the Reformation, and may thus be considered at least as appropriate a medium for his music as a fully adult professional choir or consort. At the outer edges of the English sixteenth-century choir were voice types that continue to this day: the high Triplex (which term survives today as Treble) and low Bassus. There is, on the other hand, much less clarity about what voice types populated the core of the ensemble: the voices ranging downward from Medius to Tenor via Contratenor."

With a fairly equal number of high, mid and low voices the Choir of New College Oxford projects a perfect timbral and dynamic balance. Another plus for this recording is its natural acoustic qualities. No artificially enhanced reverb or the hollow effect of a cavernous building. You're seated inside the chapel at precisely the proper distance from the choristers. A sonically pure experience from start to finish.