Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

This disc contains the “Missa Puisque Je Vis” which is almost certainly by Guillaume Dufay, Loyset Compère’s “Omnium Bonorum Plena” written in praise of the Virgin Mary, as well as motets by Dufay and our prolific friend Anonymous. They take us back in time to when Henry Tudor was preparing to sail from France to become Henry VII. Andrew Kirkman’s booklet notes present a reasonable case for the identification of Dufay as the composer of this mass. Whoever it was, the music stands at a turning point. Gregorian chant is on the way out but we have not yet reached baroque. Characteristics of Dufay are his intricate workmanship and the development of independent balance among the vocal parts. All the pieces are sung a cappella by the Binchois Consort of eight male voices, directed by Andrew Kirkman. The clarity and tone are excellent throughout and this is a truly harmonious recital.

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