Clemens non Papa
Clemens non Papa’s motets are high Renaissance polyphony at full stretch: Marian devotion in O Maria, vernans rosa, Christmas wonder in the six-voice O magnum mysterium, and the stark grief of Vox in Rama.
These pieces were made for the liturgy and for the long stretch from Nativity to Candlemas, not for seasonal jingles. The writing keeps every line alive inside the weave, so the harmony can lean and clash without the texture turning to mush. Heard beside Josquin, Gombert, Tallis and Palestrina, his motets still sound like serious, moving sacred song: clear, weighty, and built to hold a room.
Compositions by Clemens non Papa appear on
Christmas to Candlemas
Ensemble Gombert is one of Australia’s finest choral groups. Directed by John O’Donnell – organist, harpsichordist and highly respected academic – the ensemble is known for historically informed performances of Renaissance and later choral repertoire.