Josquin Despres

Tallis's monumental Spem in alium is one of the greatest glories of Western polyphony, and its preechoes and aftershocks reverberate through all the other pieces on this disc.The massed voices of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, in their 25th anniversary year, dazzle in this programme of choral jewels from the 15th and 16th centuries, interspersed with virtuoso tributes from three leading contemporary composers, including Gabriel Jackson's own 40-part motet.

Recorded at Chiesa della B.V. Maria del Monte Carmelo al Colletto, Italy, in May, June and August 2007 and April 2008.

After completing their original trilogy devoted to Guillaume Dufay (two volumes of motets and one of chansons) and before setting out on their next large-scale project, Giuseppe Maletto and Cantica Symphonia reduced their ensemble to its vocal core and arranged themselves in front of the microphones in order to make what quite possibly will be the most personal disc of their careers. The result was a series of intimate sessions made across 2007 and 2008, all of them in the acoustic where they rehearse, perform and have recorded for many years, whose quincentenary is currently being commemorated. Maletto and his singers deliver an anthology of motets and laude inspired by the Virgin Mary, many of them hitherto little-known.To the Renaissance compositional voices of Mouton, Isaac, Willaert and Peñalosa are joined for this occasion two living composers, Carlo Galante and Yakov Gubanov, with works written especially for Cantica Symphonia. An excellent and original a capella disc, performed by one of today's most invigorating early music ensembles.