John Dunstaple was one of the most celebrated composers of the medieval period. Tantalisingly little is known about him, and what little is known is tantalising. He served in the courts of the family of Henry V and two pieces here were performed in Canterbury Cathedral to celebrate Henry V’s victory at Agincourt. His epitaph in St Stephen’s Walbrook, the City of London, indicates that he was a polymath celebrating not only his gifts as a musician but also as an astronomer and mathematician.The booklet includes illustrations from the only known surviving Dunstaple autograph manuscript, an astronomical treatise in Emmanuel College library.
Descendi in ortum meum, Ave maris stella, Gloria in canon, Speciosa facta es, Sub tuam protectionem, Veni sancte spiritus, Albanus roseo rutilat, Specialis virgo, Preco preheminencie, O crux gloriosa, Salve regina mater mire, Missa Rex seculorum.
'A treasure trove of unfamiliar and little heard masterpieces, this imaginative record is a model of what can be achieved when scholars and performers genuinely collaborate' - Gramaphone
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