Mass settings by early Tudor composers based on Westron Wynde
St Peter’s Church, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4LD
https://swemf.org.uk/event/13069/
THE WESTERN WIND
From the early 15th Century, composers had built Mass setting around well-known liturgical chants, familiar from the feasts of favourite saints or popular festivals. But, knowing a good tune when they heard one, they also used secular songs in what were called ‘parody masses’. Many composers across Europe used the tune of the secular song ‘L’homme arme’. Three English composers, John Taverner, Christopher Tye and John Sheppard, chose the other popular song of the day for their ‘Western Wind’ masses.
In this workshop we’ll be working on Taverner’s exuberant Gloria, Tye’s angelic Sanctus and Sheppard’s luminous Agnus Dei.
All three settings are for standard SATB vocal ranges. To make the most of the day, singers need to be competent sight-readers who enjoy the challenge of singing a capella.
Bruce Saunders was a choral scholar at Cambridge and a semi-professional oratorio and recital singer. He was a founder member of The Westron Wind, the Bristol based group responsible for some of the first ‘early -instrument- performances of Schutz, Monteverdi and Bach in the country. In London he founded and for more than twenty years directed New Renaissance Voices, an early music vocal ensemble. Returning to Bristol in 2014, he founded and for the last ten years directed Nova, Bristol’s specialist early music vocal ensemble.
More information and application forms to follow...