Ockeghem: Requiem; Missa Fors Seulement

*****
Outstanding 31 Aug 2007

The Clerks' Group have over the past few years gained a very strong reputation for themselves in the small, but very competitive field of early music, largely through the strength of their personnel and choice of repertoire. For the former they turn to established professionals who will be well known to anyone with even a passing interest in groups such as The Tallis Scholars, The Cardinall's Musick and the Sixteen, but their approach is much more rehearsal-intensive, and consequently the ensemble is more satisfying than groups which meet for only short periods of time and rely on the preternatural sight-reading abilities of their singers. Their repertoire is similarly interesting: they have made the music of the Low Countries in the 15th and early 16th centuries their own, and have dug up some fascinating new works alongside well-established pieces.

This disc presents the earliest complete setting of the Requiem for polyphonic voices, as well as chansons by Pierre de la Rue, Ockeghem and Brumel. The requiem is a stark, spare piece, which seems to turn its back on warmth and happiness. The chansons, in contrast, are a much more passionate group of pieces. The original was written by de la Rue, but Ockeghem and Brumel later developed the work each in their own fashion. By far the most interesting is that by Brumel, in which the bass, Robert MacDonald, produces some fabulous low notes to underpin a rich harmonic texture.

In all, a very fine disc of early music. Buy it.