This disc marks the conclusion of The Sixteen’s two-part series of the Selva morale e spirituale. The sacred works from this volume are largely written for the service of Vespers, with the addition of the Messa da cappella, written in a markedly conservative four-part texture with basso continuo, which provides some contrast from the more jubilant Vespers music. The Sixteen are, as ever, flawless; the soaring voices are beautiful to behold, and the choir are admirably matched by some of the finest period instrumentalists the country has to offer. The execution can, at times, resemble too much of the polite English choral tradition – particularly in the Mass – but the more ...
