Hybrid SACD 2-Channel / 4.0 Surround Sound!

The Spirit of Gambo, the leading Dutch performers on the viola da gamba, focuses on consort music, a genre mainly intended for performances among family or friends, and usually played on between four and six viols. The tradition reached its peak around 1600 and the ensemble concentrates on the English composers John Jenkins, Orlando Gibbons, William Byrd, and Christopher Simpson. Thanks to both its abundance and its quality, this repertoire offers and inexhaustible supply of riches.

Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) was one of the most important and highly regarded musician of his day, both as a performer on keyboard instruments and as a composer, particularly of polyphonic vocal music. The greater part of Gibbons' output is sacred vocal music intended for practical use in prestigious places. In addition to services, he wrote a vast number of anthems, both full and verse, in many of which a consort of viols was required to provide an independent accompaniment. His output of secular vocal music was small compared to that for the church, and his only book of madrigals was published in 1612. Gibbons' polyphonic madrigal style is nearer to his instrumental fantasias, but several of the compositions would appear to be solo songs with viol accompaniment, e.g. the famous song "The Silver Swan".

On this SACD you will hear the first recording of the complete "First Set of Madrigals und Mottets of 5 parts'. The ensemble "The Spirit of Gambo", led by Freek Borstlap, was glad to win the famous baroque soprano specialists Claron McFadden and Aleksandra Anisimowicz over to sing the upper vocal parts. With this recording the internationally recognized "The Spirit of Gambo" brings a world of forgotten sounds into life again. The exquisite tonal quality, the balance between instruments, and the richness of musical content captivate any listener, giving them the feeling of being directly transported back in time and leaving them deeply rewarded.

Over time, "The Spirit of Gambo" has built up a unique collection of instruments - mostly built by the ensemble member Gesina Liedmeier - in order to convey the full richness of the consort repertoire. Its concerts represent a fascinating quest int he world of lost sonorities and forgotten atmospheres.

This very exciting Stockfisch production was recorded in the Doopsgezinde Kerk, Haarlem (NL), which is world famous for its special acoustics. Therefore, the Gibbons sessions were recorded using a surround microphone setup in order to offer the CD-Hybrid-Layer (16bit) also, a DSD-stereo-mix and a 4.0 multichannel mix. The 28-page booklet contains very detailed information of early baroque music, the composer and historically informed performance.

This Hybrid-SACD includes a 16bit hybrid layer and can therefore be played on any CD-Player! SACD Surround sound requires multi-channel SACD player and compatible surround sound system for playback.

Features:
Super Audio CD
SACD 4.0 Multi-Channel SACD Layer
SACD Stereo SACD Layer
This Hybrid SACD contains a 'Red Book' Stereo CD Layer which is playable on most conventional CD Players!

Selections:
Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625)
The Silver Swan
1. What is our life
2. I. Fair ladies that to love captived are
   II. Mongst thousands good
3. Fair is the rose, yet fades with heat or cold
4. Dainty fine bird
5. Now each flowery bank of May
6. Lais now old, that erst attempting lass
7. I. How art thou thral'd
   II. Farewell all joys
8. The Silver Swan
9. I. Nay let me weep
   II. Ne'er let the sun with his deceiving light
  III. Yet if that age had frosted over his head
10. Ah, dear heart why do you rise?
11. Trust not I much fair youth unto thy feature
12. O, that the learned poets of this time
13. I. I weigh not fortune's frown nor smile
     II. I tremble not at noise of war
    III. I see ambition never pleased
    IV. I fain not friendship where I hate