Music for Compline (2007)

This gorgeous release by the young English unaccompanied vocal group Stile Antico would be worth your time and money simply for the quiet, perfectly intoned singing on display here. But the album accomplishes more than vocal virtuosity. Stile Antico presents music by three generations of English choral composers, all of it from the Catholic sphere and all of it written for the late-evening Compline services of the liturgical day. That programming decision results in a collection of music that wouldn't have been heard in the ... Read More

This gorgeous release by the young English unaccompanied vocal group Stile Antico would be worth your time and money simply for the quiet, perfectly intoned singing on display here. But the album accomplishes more than vocal virtuosity. Stile Antico presents music by three generations of English choral composers, all of it from the Catholic sphere and all of it written for the late-evening Compline services of the liturgical day. That programming decision results in a collection of music that wouldn't have been heard in the sixteenth century (the older music of Sheppard probably wouldn't have lasted until the century's end) but that does make sense to the modern listener trying to learn to hear this music with Renaissance ears. The reason is that the program is ideally structured to lead the listener from Sheppard (and his contemporary Hugh Aston) to Thomas Tallis and his musical heir, William Byrd. The disc opens with a two-section "Libera nos" by Sheppard, rich and dense. It moves on to one of Byrd's... Read Less