Carys Lane, Robin Blaze, The Clerk's Group, Edward Wickham - Ockeghem - Missa Au Travail Suis, Missa Sine Nomine a5 (2001)

The Franco-Flemish composer, Johannes Ockeghem, sang at Antwerp at the Bourbon court before joining the French royal chapel in 1451. Ockeghem spent most of his professional life at the French chapel and his output was quite prolific. He composed 14 settings of the Mass, including one of the earliest polyphonic versions of the Requiem. Ockeghem also composed numerous motets and secular songs. He was one of the most original voices in early Renaissance polyphony and his music dazzles with its ingenuity and beauty.
This recording by the Clerks' Group under the direction of Edward Wickham features two of Ockeghem's more concise mass settings: 'Missa Au Travail Suis,' and 'Missa Sine Nomine a5.' The 'Missa Au Travail Suis' is based on an old song of the same name and features some unique writing for two high and two low voices. Ockeghem's scoring results in some challenging textures and tonalities that are sung with skill by this excellent English ensemble. The Clerks' Group uses female voices along with male altos and high tenors to stunning effect. The voices weave and blend beautifully, while the text is always clearly articulated.