DESCRIPTION:
Taking its title from a poem by the sixteenth-century Jesuit martyr Robert Southwell, Times go by Turns, the new release from New York Polyphony, comprises three English masses composed during a period when the conditions for English Catholics -- and Catholic composers -- underwent radical change. Written at a time -- the 15th century -- when the Catholic Church flourished in England, John Plummer's Missa sine nomine is without doubt the least known of the three works, while the later four-voice mass settings by Thomas Tallis and his student William Byrd are among the most treasured examples of their period and genre.

The vocal quartet New York Polyphony released endBeginning on BIS Records in 2012. Featuring rare and never-before recorded works from the Franco-Flemish Renaissance, the album amassed substantial critical acclaim. Hailed as a "gorgeous, reflective program" by National Public Radio (U.S.) it was selected as one of the 'Top Ten Notable Classical Music Recordings of 2012′ by The New Yorker and rated '10-out-of-10′ by Classics Today. While dedicated to the works of the great age of polyphony, New York Polyphony is also noted for its performances of contemporary music. For Times go by Turns the ensemble has commissioned two modern works, with Andrew Smith contributing Kyrie: Cunctipotens Genitor Deus and Gabriel Jackson providing the closing Ite missa est ('The mass is ended'). The programme also includes one of the last compositions by Richard Rodney Bennett (1936--2012). A Colloquy with God , the setting of a poem by Sir Thomas Browne for four male voices, was dedicated to New York Polyphony.

For more information:

http://www.bis.se

http:///www.newyorkpolyphony.com
http://www.facebook.com/newyorkpolyphony
http://www.twitter.com/nypolyphony
http://www.youtube.com/nypolyphony