O Beata Virgo Maria: Sacred Choral Works Luminatus & David Bray

• Luca Marenzio (1553 - 1599): Iste sanctus pro lege:
• 1Marenzio: Iste sanctus pro lege02:55
• Francisco Guerrero (1528 - 1599): Missa Iste Sanctus:
• 2Guerrero: Missa Iste Sanctus: i. Kyrie02:19
• 3Guerrero: Missa Iste Sanctus: ii. Gloria04:32
• 4Guerrero: Missa Iste Sanctus: iii. Credo08:07
• 5Guerrero: Missa Iste Sanctus: iv. Sanctus02:28
• 6Guerrero: Missa Iste Sanctus: v. Benedictus02:43
• 7Guerrero: Missa Iste Sanctus: vi. Agnus Dei03:25
• Tiburtio Massaino (b. 1550): O Beata Virgo Maria:
• 8Massaino: O Beata Virgo Maria: Prima pars, O beata virgo Maria03:38
• 9Massaino: O Beata Virgo Maria: Seconda Pars, Accipe tamen dignanter02:16
• 10Massaino: O Beata Virgo Maria: Tertia pars, Admitte piissima dei genetrix preces nostras02:05
• 11Massaino: O Beata Virgo Maria: Quarta pars, Accipe quod offerimus02:06
• 12Massaino: O Beata Virgo Maria: Quinta pars, Sancta Maria02:30
• 13Massaino: O Beata Virgo Maria: Ultima pars, Assiste parata votis poscentium03:45
• Melissa Dunphy (b.1980): Magnificat for St Paul's Burlingame:
• 14Dunphy: Magnificat for St Paul's Burlingame07:00
• Nunc Dimittis for St Paul's Burlingame:
• 15Dunphy: Nunc Dimittis for St Paul's Burlingame03:37
• Kerensa Briggs (b. 1991): Alma Redemptoris Mater:
• 16Briggs: Alma Redemptoris Mater04:10
• Cecilia McDowall (b. 1951): St Pancras Canticles:
• 17McDowall: St Pancras Canticles: Magnificat09:10
• 18McDowall: St Pancras Canticles: Nunc Dimittis05:49
• Total Runtime01:12:35

Info for O Beata Virgo Maria: Sacred Choral Works

This album features relatively unfamiliar and previously unrecorded music written by contemporary female composers, and Renaissance composers. The repertoire features several texts based on a Marian theme.

Luca Marenzio (1553 or 1554 to 1599) spent most of his career in Rome where he produced a small amount of sacred music and was a highly regarded composer of madrigals. The short motet Iste Sanctus, seemingly intended as a Magnificat antiphon, was first published in 1585 as part of the Motectorum pro festis totius anni collection and utilises many features common within contemporary madrigal writing.

Tiburtio Massaino (before 1550 to after 1608) was an Augustinian monk in Piacenza, maestro di cappella at Sancta Maria del Popolo in Rome, and worked in Modena, Lodi, Sal, Innsbruck and Salzburg. O Beata Virgo Maria was published in 1576 as part of the Motectorum liber primus, setting a text by Fulbert of Chartres.

Hannah Littleton, soprano
Luminatus
David Bray, direction

Hannah Littleton
is a classically trained, freelance coloratura soprano and vocal tutor based in Cambridge. She performs repertoire of a wide range of styles and languages with finesse, confidence and vitality. Her technical proficiency is equally matched by her extremely characterful expression, commented on by many at her performances, drawing audiences into the emotions and narrative of every piece. Hannah’s linguistic aptitude is highly evident in her performance of foreign-language repertoire. Furthermore, her academic background is evident in the vocal integrity of her performances, which demonstrate a clear sensitivity to the historical background and musical subtleties of the repertoire.

In 2018, Hannah graduated with a first class BMus (Hons) Degree, in which she specialized in solo vocal performance. Following this, she graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2019 with a Masters in Choral Studies, during which she received regular vocal ensemble training by internationally acclaimed octet, Voces8, and regular solo training. Her experience of vocal performance and education includes: membership of the prestigious young artists' programme of The Sixteen, 'Genesis Sixteen'; singing at many BBC Proms as a member of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus and as a member of the BBC Proms Youth Choir; singing as a first soprano and regular soloist with auditioned chamber choirs at the University of Birmingham in 2015-2018 and in Christ's College Choir (Cambridge) in 2018/19; singing regularly at concerts and events across England as a freelance soprano soloist and ensemble member; operatic roles such as Pamilie in Rameau's 'La naissance d'Osiris' (St John's College, Cambridge) and Pallade, Venere and Virtú in Monteverdi's 'Poppea' (Trinity College, Cambridge); the role of Maria in Handel's 'Brockes Passion (Kings College, Cambridge); soloist on tours to Berlin and Leipzig with Birmingham University Singers and to Singapore with Christ's College Choir. She has performed in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Usher Hall and St John's Smith Square, and has worked with world-renowned conductors, such as Sir Simon Rattle OM CBE, Simon Halsey CBE, Harry Christophers CBE, Edward Gardner OBE, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, John Wilson, Marin Alsop, and Simon Carrington, amongst others.

Luminatus
is a vocal ensemble which aims to give performance in the East Midlands and East of England. It is a small, but flexible group, specialising in relatively unknown Renaissance music and contemporary repertoire.

David Bray
is a trumpet player, composer, arranger, author, music editor and for ten years was the County Music Adviser in Northamptonshire. He has conducted national and international prize-winning choirs and other ensembles around the UK, on national television and radio.

This album contains no booklet.