Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (ca. 1525-1594): Magnificat secundi toni a 5 *
William Byrd (ca. 1539/40-1623): Emendemus in melius a 5
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (ca. 1525-1594): Missa Emendemus in melius a 4 *
Robert White (ca. 1538-1574): Ad te levavi oculos meos a 6
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (ca. 1525-1594): Ad te levavi oculos meos a 12 *
William Mundy (ca. 1529-1591): Memor esto verbi tui a 6
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (ca. 1525-1594):
- Memor esto verbi tui a 5 *
- Missa Memor esto verbi tui a 5 *

* world première recordings

Sometimes I firmly believe that I was born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whenever I hear polyphonic vocal music from the Renaissance, my ears perk up, my spirits are lifted, and my mind wallows in the pure, unadulterated, yet complex musical logic of it all. Just like the outstanding paintings from the Renaissance masters, there's a realism and clarity of purpose to this music. Please ... if there's anyone out there working on a viable time machine, contact me. I will gladly volunteer to be the first in line to test it out, and travel back 500 years (in so long as I can come back and finish this review).

2025 marks the quincentenary of Giovanni Palestrina's birth, and this release from Harmonia mundi is the first one out the gate to light the candles on the cake, with a recording showcasing five hitherto unrecorded works by the Italian master, which includes Masses published posthumously. The detailed booklet notes explain: "On 9 February 1594, the singers of the Cappella Sistina assembled in the papal apartments to perform a motet to entertain Pope Clement VIII (r. 1592-1605) and his guests. According to the chapel diarist, the pope complained that the chosen motet, Giovanni Maria Nanino's double-choir In diademate capitis, set an obscure text and the words could not be understood. He enquired what had become of the unpublished works of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-94), who had died exactly a week previously. On learning that the composer's papers were in the care of his surviving son, Iginio Pierluigi, the pope expressed a wish that Palestrina's published music be reprinted and unknown works brought to light."

In this recording, the timbral and dynamic balance achieved by the members of the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge is quite remarkable (hard to believe this level of excellence possible from a 21st century group of college students). Not surprising when you take into account the pristine direction from conductor Graham Ross whose extensive discography alone speaks to his credentials. For a multi-voiced a capella choir to sustain perfect pitch over an extended period of time is quite an achievement. (I've experienced first-hand directing choirs that, without instrumental support, would end a four to five minute song a whole tone lower than where they started).

Add to all this excellent audio engineering by Sir John Rutter that naturally captures the spatial acoustics of All Hallows' Church in London, and let your imagination travel back 500 years. I guess I won't be needing that time machine after all.