Rating: 5/5
Review:
More excellence from The Hilliard Ensemble
This is a lovely farewell disc from one of the great vocal ensembles of the last 40 years. It is a collection of 15th Century English music with the lovely spare sound of the period, beautifully expressed as ever by the Hilliards. The music is by a variety of composers from the well-known Cornysh to the obscure Plummer, and over half of them are anonymous. All are very fine works and it makes a lovely and fascinating programme.
The Hilliard Ensemble, of course, sing it beautifully. They are in their element (well, one of their elements) in this repertoire and their sound fits it perfectly, with David James's plangent countertenor setting the tone. Intonation, phrasing and engagement with the text are all exemplary and they bring a real inner glow to every piece.
As always, ECM's recorded sound is superb and the presentation excellent. Long-term fans of the Hilliard Ensemble like me will need no encouragement to buy this, but if you are undecided don't hesitate. This is a very fine disc all round, and a fitting finale from a truly great ensemble.
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