Following the release of Threads of Gold in February 2017, we’re delighted to present a second recording devoted to Tudor and Jacobean sacred choral music from the Choir of York Minster, conducted by Robert Sharpe.

Captured in the warm and radiant acoustic of the Lady Chapel of York Minster, this wide-ranging survey traces the ‘threads of gold’ weaving through the development of sacred choral works from immediately before the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603) to the early Jacobean period following – a period considered a Golden Age in English music.

With sacred works from the major composers of the second half of the 16th century, and the early years of the 17th – Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, and Thomas Tomkins – there are examples of Latin polyphonic motets, concise a capella anthems in both Latin and English, and more elaborate verse anthems with extensive solos and organ accompaniment.

The recording features several of the most well-known examples of church music from the period, including Ave Maria by Robert Parsons, Ave verum corpus by William Byrd, and arguably one of the most perfect and beautifully-simple pieces of music ever written, If ye love me by Thomas Tallis.

‘This is a radiant recording of glorious music, sung by a fine provincial English cathedral choir right at the top of its game.’ – Early Music Review (Threads of Gold Vol.1)