Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Sacred choral music flourished in the days of King Henry VIII with composers such as John Taverner (c 1490-1545) and John Sheppard (c 1515-1558) showing the way that was followed by Thomas Tallis (c 1510-1585) and his pupil William Byrd (1539/40-1623). However with the coming of the Reformation most of the Latin sacred works were sidelined as irrelevant for the Protestant Church. Where this repertory has survived it is in collections such as the Baldwin Partbooks. This anthology of almost 170 works was copied by John Baldwin between about 1575 and 1581 during the time when he was a tenor in the choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor and in some cases is the sole surviving source for the music. Owen Rees, Director of Contrapunctus, is Professor of Music at Oxford University, so we know that his interpretation and, where necessary, reconstruction of this music is fully informed. This collection, the first of a proposed series, concentrates on mortality and fear of the Day of Judgment and is thus somewhat sombre in tone. The singing (a cappella throughout) is outstanding and the clarity of the recording at the Church of St Michael And All Angels in Oxford is superb. We meet the great names of Tudor composition mentioned above: Taverner, Sheppard, Tallis and Byrd as well as some of the lesser known: Robert Parsons, William Mundy and - a new name to me - Dericke Gerarde. All the texts are Latin and a translation is provided in the informative CD booklet. 'In The Midst Of Life' was Editor's Choice in the May 2015 issue of Gramophone and this less exalted reviewer is in full agreement. If you appreciate fine singing or have an interest in Tudor polyphony this is essential listening.

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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