If you want to hear some of the greatest music of the 16th century–or any other era–skip to track 19 (Agnus Dei). Unfortunately, we have to wade through a lot of not-so-interesting stuff to get there. Fans of conductor Paul McCreesh will recognize this recording and its “you are there” programming as another of his familiar attempts to recreate an authentic setting for a great early music work–and many listeners will fully appreciate it. However, in presenting John Sheppard’s gorgeous mass, we must endure near-endless minutes of chant–procession, antiphon, introit, Kyrie (albeit placed in its absolutely correct liturgical order as in a real service)–sung in perhaps the most boring manner ever committed to disc. Now those who know me are aware of how seriously I take my early music–especially choral music–and I have listened to many dozens of hours of chant of all types and have written thousands of words on the subject, and have sung everything from Gregorian to Sarum to Anglican to Russian–and this just doesn’t inspire me at all. It works even less well when it lasts for the first 20-plus minutes of a disc that I thought was going to be spent enjoying the soaring lines and ethereal sounds of one of Sheppard’s masterpieces. Once the choir is allowed to cut loose and sing, we find ourselves in another world from the plodding, earthbound one we had just experienced. Stretches of chant similar to the one that opens the program, sung both by the choir and solo celebrants, precede all the mass movements. Fortunately, CD players have programming features that enable you to skip to the “good parts”–and, as much as I appreciate what McCreesh is trying to do here, that’s what I’d recommend, those being the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, and that wonderful Agnus Dei. The sound is too resonant to fully capture the detail of the inner choral lines.
