Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

The reign of the House of Tudor was a tumultuous period of English history as readers of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy will know. Henry VIII broke with Rome, his son Edward VI was an enthusiastic Protestant but Edward's older sister who became Queen Mary was equally enthusiastic in her support for a return to Catholicism and even under the last of Henry's three children, "Good Queen Bess", it remained a dangerous time to express religious opinions that were not shared by the monarch. The collection 'Troubled Times: Music and Espionage in Renaissance England' explores sacred music written amid this religious and political instability in 16th century England. Performed by Windsor-based The Queen's Six with The Rose Consort of Viols guesting on five of the 17 pieces, the programme examines how composers navigated shifting allegiances, censorship, exile and suspicion, from the Henrician Reformation to the Elizabethan settlement. Works by William Byrd, John Taverner, Thomas Morley, Peter Philips, Alfonso Ferrabosco I and II and others reflect strategies of adaptation, concealment and survival, whether through recusancy, foreign travel or service at court. Placing music within its historical context, the recording highlights the complex relationship between faith, power and artistic expression during a period of sustained upheaval. I hope that this summary does not make the programme seem too intimidating because while the Tudor period was religiously and politically unstable there was some remarkable music being written of which this is just a selection and while the absence of anything by Thomas Tallis is to be regretted the pieces chosen are all worth hearing. The Queen's Six are two altos, two tenors, a baritone and a bass directed by Simon Whitely. The vocal blend is excellent and the acoustic at the recording venue, St Michal and All Angels at Ascot, is crystal clear. At several points the singers are joined by The Rose Consort of Viols which adds a suitable Tudor flavour to the blend although this is predominantly a vocal collection with The Queen's Six on top form throughout.

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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