Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

There is much to applaud on this release - not least the budget price - but first a reminder that this is a re-issue of an album first released in 2005. The Musique D'Abord series from Harmonia Mundi comes under the cheap and cheerful designation regarding its packaging but the quality of this recording is superlative and offers a good mix of sacred and secular music that shows the strengths of Antoine Busnois, here sung by his leading contemporary advocates in The Orlando Consort. Busnois - or, if you prefer, Busnoys - was born around the year 1430 and worked his way up the musical ladder in and across France and Burgundy until his death in Bruges in 1492. We do not have a complete list of all his compositions, and scholars have great fun debating whether certain anonymous works are by Busnois or not, but on this CD we get more than an hour of pleasant medieval music sung exceptionally well, including motets, songs, a hymn ("Conditor Alme Siderum") and the Mass "O Crux Lignum". The 2005 version of The Orlando Consort comprised Robert Harte-Jones (countertenor), Mark Dobell and Angus Smith (tenors) and Donald Greig (baritone). Their vocal blend is just right and this release is probably the best introduction to an interesting and important composer currently available and also a fine taster for medieval music both sacred and secular.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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