JOHN SHEPPARD: "Media vita" = Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria; The Lord’s Prayer; I give you a new commandment; Media vita; Christ rising again; Haste thee, O God; Te Deum – Stile Antico – Harmonia mundi Multichannel SACD 807509, 70:16 *****:
John Sheppard (c. 1515-58) remains a bit of a mystery history-wise; we know he was at a post at Magdalen College (1543-48) Aside from this and a few other tidbits his life is basically unknown, though his music certainly is not. He and Tallis were the finest exemplars of music of the Tudor period, Sheppard supplying music for the court chapel of Mary Tudor’s reign, meaning a lot of fairly elaborate music for the Latin Sarum rite in complex polyphony.
Sheppard also wrote music for the English rite and was one of many composers who straddled the political difficulties providing music for the bifurcated religious age (he died just as Elizabeth I ascended the English throne). We get a mixture of these efforts on this wonderful new disc by the sterling young English group Stile Antico. They have received raves in these pages both by me: (1), (2), and Tom Gibbs. This one is no exception, the smooth roundness of tone and exceptionally vibrant dynamic qualities of the group placing them among the elite already, despite the presence of many other seasoned ensembles still on the scene.
Especially noteworthy is the title track, Media vita, a setting of the Trisagion Prayers (Holy God, Holy and Strong, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us) with St. Symeon’s prayer the Nunc dimittis. It is one of the finest examples of Sheppard’s art, almost overwhelming in its emotional power, and quite possibly meant for non-liturgical settings as well as church. Christ rising again is a noteworthy setting of Sheppard’s Book of Common Prayer English, a clearly written and carefully delineated work that takes all care to present the English as plainly as possible (again, politically correct that he does this?). These two alone are just tantalizing verbal samples of the delicious music you will find on this disc, as good and as broad an introduction to Sheppard as I can think of, given in wonderful acoustics and equally wonderful sound. Kudos to all involved.
— Steven Ritter
