Pierre de la Rue: Missa cum Jocunditate

Music clearly fascinated the great Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450-1516); his sketches and paintings are peppered with closely observed depictions of music-making and musical instruments. Bosch was a life-long brother of the citys Brotherhood of Our Illustrious Lady, a large and prestigious organization for which sacred music was an essential and highly-valued part of devotional life. Every Wednesday Bosch would gather with his Confraternity brothers in their chapel in the church of St. John the Evangelist to celebrate a votive Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin. This recording aims to capture a sense of that devotional soundscape. Dutch vocal ensemble Cappella Pratensis- literally Cappella des pres- champions the music of Josquin Desprez and the polyphonists of the 15th and 16th centuries. The group combines historically informed performance practice with inventive programmes and original interpretations based on scholarly research and artistic insight. As in Josquins time, the members of the ensemble perform from a central music stand, singing from the original mensural notation scored in a large choirbook.