Pro Cantione Antiqua

Pro Cantione Antiqua of London (PCA) is a British choral group which was founded in 1968 by tenor , counter-tenor Paul Esswood, and conductor and producer . Their first concert was at St Bartholomew's, Smithfield with Brian Brockless conducting but, from an early stage, they were closely associated with conductor and musicologist Bruno Turner.^[1] Arguably, they were the leading British performers of a cappella music, especially early music, prior to the founding of the Tallis Scholars.

Singers have included:

• countertenors: Paul Esswood, , Geoffrey Mitchell, James Bowman, Keith Davis, Timothy Penrose, Kevin Smith, Michael Chance, Ashley Stafford, Richard Hill and Charles Brett.
• tenors: James Griffett, James Lewington, Ian Partridge, Ian Thompson and Andrew Carwood.
• basses: David Beavan, Ian Caddy, Brian Etheridge, Michael George, Christopher Keyte, Christopher Underwood, Stephen Roberts, David Thomas and Adrian Peacock.
• Though principally an all-male group it has been supplemented with female voices where appropriate (e.g. for the 1978 recordings OUP 151/2 under Philip Ledger, to accompany The Oxford Book of English Madrigals)

Discography[]

Archiv[]

PCA's 6-LP set 'The Flowering of Renaissance Polyphony' (Geistliche Musik der Renaissance') issued on Archiv in the late 1970s was particularly influential. This was subsequently reissued with other material for Archiv as 7-CD:

• CD1: John Dunstable, Guillaume Dufay, Gilles Binchois: Motets
• CD2: Antoine Busnois, Josquin des Prez: Masses
• CD3: Ockeghem Missa "Pro defunctis" - Desprez Two motets - Jacob Obrecht
• CD4: La Rue, Isaac, Brumel, Mouton, Compère Motets
• CD5: Gombert, Arcadelt, Willaert, Clemens non Papa, Rore, Handl-Gallus, De Monte, Vinders: Motets.
• CD6: Lassus 2 Penitential Psalms. Palestrina Motets.
• CD7: Morales Motets, Palestrina Missa "Aeterna Christi munera"
• The Triumphs of Oriana Pro Cantione Antiqua directed by Ian Partridge DC Archiv 2533 237 35 Madrigals ^[2]

DHM[]

• Musik der Tudor Zeit. DHM
• Ockeghem Missa Ecce Ancilla Domini DHM
• William Byrd Mass for 4 voices.
• Josquin des Prez (1440–1521) Motets. Benedicta es coelorum regina; Tu solus qui facis mirabilia; ominus regnavit; Ave Maria, virgo serena; Miserere mei Deus; Inviolata, integra et casta es, Maria. Tölzer Knabenchor, Pro Cantione Antiqua, Collegium Aureum, DHM
• Weihnachtsgesänge des 15.Jahrhunderts. Christmas songs of the 15th Century. Pro Cantione Antiqua. Turner. DHM
• Lassus Missa Puisque J'Ay Perdu. Musica Dei Donum. Lauda Sion Salvatorem. Pro Cantione Antiqua, Turner DHM
• Lassus Requiem. O bone Jesu. Pro Cantione Antiqua, Turner DHM
• Tomás Luis de Victoria Tenebrae Responsories DHM.

Hyperion[]

• Palestrina Canticum canticorum. Turner Hyperion.
• Lassus. Works for Easter 2CD. Hyperion
• Francisco de Peñalosa (1470–1537) Complete motets. Bruno Turner. Hyperion. reissued Helios 2009
• Music of the Portuguese renaissance. Diogo Dias Melgás, Esteban López Morago. Pro Cantione Antiqua, Brown. Hyperion.

Carlton[]

• Palestrina Missa Papae Marcelli Stabat Mater;Missa l'Homme Arme. Alma Redemptoris Mater. Peccantem Me Quotidie Pro Cantione Antiqua, Lamentations. Bruno Turner, Mark Brown. Carlton. Reissued Alto 1CD. Reissued Brilliant 5CD.
• Gregorian chant.
• Sing we pleasure. Madrigals Wilbye, Weelkes, Gibbons, Farnaby, Byrd, Morley, Tomkins, Greaves, Farmer, Kirbye, Ward, Bennet, East, Bateson Pro Cantione Antiqua. reissue Alto.
• Tears and Lamentations. Browne, Pygott, Davy, Sheryngham, Banastir, Cornyshe, Whyte, Anonymous. reissued Regis.
• The Edwardian gentleman's songbook. Ballads & Glees von Bishop, Stevenson, Hatton, Smart, Stanfort, Paxton, Somerville, Bridge, Foster, Sullivan. James Griffett, Pro Cantione Antiqua. Carlton. Reissue Alto.

Other labels[]

• El Siglo de oro - Spanische Kirchenmusik der Renaissance. Victoria, Guerrero, Lobo, Esquivel, Ceballos, Pro Cantione Antiqua, Turner 2 CDs Das Alte Werk, Teldec.
• Purcell in the Ale House. Part-Songs by Purcell, Ravenscroft, Bennet, Pearce, Browne, Isham, Dowland, Campion, Pilkington, Coleman Brown, Partridge, Wilson. Pro Cantione Antiqua Teldec. reissue Apex.
• Monteverdi Vespers. 2CD Pro Cantione Antiqua, Knabenchor Hannover, Collegium Aureum, Musica Fiata, dir Hennig. Ars Musici.
• (1925–1985), Sacred works. Mark Brown
• A Medieval Christmas (accompanied by the Medieval Wind Ensemble), dir. Mark Brown, Innovative Music Productions (PCD 844), 1986
• The Gregorian Lent and Easter, dir. James O'Donnell, Musica di Angeli (99182)
• A Gregorian Advent and Christmas, dir. James O'Donnell, The United Recording Company (CD-88007), 1993
• Gregorian Feast, dir. Mark Brown, recorded 1990-2, Regis Records Ltd (RRC 1217), 2005
• Sacred Music (Heinrich Schütz), dir. Edgar Fleet, Pro Cantione Antiqua, London Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, Restoration Academy, Academy Sound and Vision (1979)

References[]

External links[]

• Gregorian Feast musicweb-international.com 2005