Various: Spirits Eng/Fr 5 (Hyperion Helios Audio CD)

This latest reissue from Gothic Voices forms a pair with the Missa Caput (CDH55284). Missa Veterem hominem is an anonymous English Mass from circa 1440. It is a work of intricate detail and great significance as one of the earliest examples of a composition for what we would regard today as a ‘standard’ four-part choir. It is performed here with captivating vigour and commitment.

Also included are hymns from the Sarum chant books. The presentation of these monophonic songs makes this disc an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the tunes (Christe, qui lux es, Jesu salvator, and Salvator mundi, for example) which lie beneath so many later polyphonic works by Tallis and numerous others. But if that isn’t enough, they are also sung with extreme conviction and an austere yet remarkable beauty.