Discovering Music

BBC Radio 3 features The Sixteen in the current Discovering Music programme, unravelling some of the works in our Choral Pilgrimage programme. Catherine Bott explores some of the joys of English polyphony with Harry Christophers, Sally Dunkley and The Sixteen in an exploration of music by Byrd, Tallis and Sheppard. The programme was recorded at the National Centre for Early Music in York as part of the 2010 York Early Music Festival and unpicks some of the working and ideas behind three contrasting masterpieces from 16th century English chuch music. William Byrd's "Infelix Ego" is a meditation on Psalm 50 written by the Italian friar Girolamo Savonarola shortly before his execution for heresy.

Thomas Tallis's short but intensely expressive "Miserere Nostri" is an intricate web of musical games and devices around the words "have mercy on us lord, have mercy on us".

Finally John Sheppard's "Media Vita" is a setting of plainsong and text based around the Nunc Dimittis, the traditional song for evening prayer, composed by Sheppard on an uniquely grand scale.

Harry Christophers, the director of The Sixteen, and Sally Dunkley who sings with the group and prepares many of The Sixteen's editions, discuss and illustrate with Catherine Bott some of musical thinking behind these pieces.

Listen here (until 3 October).

Wells Cathedral

There are worse ways to spend a Saturday morning than gazing for a couple of hours at the West Front of Wells Cathedral (alternating with staring at the laptop screen). Our Choral Pilgrimage hotel here is The Swan, which has a spectacular view from its lounge. The present cathedral was begun around 1180, on a new site to the north of the old. Started nearly 10 years before Lincoln and more than 40 years before Salisbury, Wells was the first English cathedral to be built throughout with the pointed arch, shafted column and ribbed vault of the Gothic style. A great setting for last night's packed concert. Off to Tewkesbury now.

Stained glass windows in Swansea

Four Choral Pilgrimage concerts coming up this week, in Swansea, Wells, Tewkesbury and St Asaph. The Collegiate and Parish Church of St Mary in Swansea has a fine collection of stained glass windows, including the Millenium Window by Martin Donlin.
My other favourites are John Edwards' Baptistry Window:And finally, John Piper's Creation window:


Tickets for Swansea (16th), Wells (17th) and Tewkesbury (18th) are available from the National Centre for Early Music on 01904 651485 and for St Asaph (19th) from the North Wales International Music Festival box-office on 01745 584508.
Limited availability for all four concerts.