A Mass For Hercules – BREMF Consort of Voices, Deborah Roberts (director)

It began with Joaquin des Prez’s stately motet “Præter rerum seriem”, which Cipriano de Rore (1515-1555) used as the musical basis of his richly-textured six part Latin Mass for the Duke of Ferrara, Ercole d’Este. For this Hercules, the conceited son of Lucrezia Borgia, Cipriano added an extra part singing “Long live Hercules”, again and again. It was a delight to hear it sung so well, in context with chants and motets proper for the feast of Corpus Christi. This choir’s pitch and diction are precise, its blend and balance near perfect under the nuanced direction of a Renaissance expert.

Coda: Deborah Roberts conducts more of Rore’s work sung by the ladies choir Celestial Sirens next Saturday, same time, same place.

St Paul’s Church, 6 June 2015

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