Quink Vocal Ensemble

Vostre Amour est Vagabonde

Tes Beaux Yeux

Tu as Tous Seul

Pseaume 72: tes jugements dieu veritable

Pseaume 78: sois ententif, mon peuple

Pseaume 137: estans assisaux rives aquatiques

Dieu! qu'il la fait bon regarder

Yver! vous n'estes qu'un villain

La Petite Fille Sage

Le Chien Perdu

En Rentrant de i'ecole

Le Petit Garcon Malade

Le Herisson

St. Godrics Hymn

I Mon Waxe Wod

Lenten is Come

The Long Night

Yif ic of Luv Can

Carol

Ye that Pasen by

A Death

Besame Mucho

If Ever I Would Leave You

Misty my Romance

Ain't Misbehavin'

The three women and two men of this Dutch classical ensemble open this recording with 6 sixteenth-century works by the Dutch composer Sweelinck (though written in French, the courtly language of the time). Two "chanson" by Debussy follow, and then selections by Poulenc and Britten, both twentieth-century composers; as is characteristic of modern music, the harmonic progressions can be something of a non-sequitur, depending on your point of view! For dessert, five close harmony arrangements, including "Besame Mucho," "My Romance" (as arranged by Puerling) and of course, "Ain't Misbehavin'". A rich and satisfying tapestry of sound.

Gioacchino Rossini

Kyrie

Gloria

Laudamus Te

Gratias

Domine Deus

Qui Tollis

Quoniam

Cum Sancto Spiritu

Credo Crucixus

Et Resurrexit

Et Vitam VEnturi

Prelude Relgieux

Ritournelle

Sanctus Benedictus

O Salutaris

Agnus Dei

Prelude Religieux

Rossini’s “Little Solemn Mass, ” which the composer famously called “neither little, nor more than intermittently solemn,” was nevertheless a great success at its premiere in Paris on March 14, 1864, by which time the famous opera composer was already long “retired,” though he continued to write in non-operatic genres. Rossini was 71 when he wrote it, and it was to be his last large composition. The other small songs and piano pieces he created were published under the ironic title of Péchés de vieillesse – “Sins of My Old Age.” The first version was scored for two pianos, harmonium, and twelve voices and did not yet include the “O Salutaris” for soprano solo which was added later. Within three years Rossini had responded to requests for an orchestration; this version for large ensemble was not given until after the composer’s death, at the Théâtre Italien in Paris, on February 24, 1869. The Quink Vocal Ensemble is one of the best vocal groups in the world. Their repertoire includes a cappella works ranging from the early Renaissance to contemporary music. Quink has toured the U.S. at least once a year since 1985 and recorded many albums for Telarc.

Benjamin Britten

Hymn To Cecilia

Five Flower Songs

Sacred And Profane

A Wealden Trio: The Song Of Women - Ford

The Sycamore Tree - Trad.

A Shepard's Carol - Auden

Acclaimed Dutch singers perform beautifully the unaccompanied choral works of Britten. Sung with intimacy and clarity the five voices of this top notch ensemble showcases these compositions in a different setting than the usual large choir performances of these works. Recommended.

Folk Songs Of The World

Hora!

Hitrag'ut

Sheleg al yiri

Loch Lomond

The Dark-Eyed Sailor

She's Like The Swallow

At The Foot Of Yonder Mountain

The Riddle Song

Nyeznyakomka

The Unfaithful Lover

Handsome Mirko / Eighteen Shining Buttons

Heaven Above

Hussars / Fairy Tale

Am Donaustrom

Ej, steht ein Madchen

Auf der Erde hat nichts Weile

Glaubst du, dass ich

Ich hab' die Nacht getraumet

Wie kommt's dass du so traurig bist

Schein uns, du liebe Sonne

Herzlieblich Lieb, durch Scheiden

Virginie, les larm' aux yeux

Oh! Madelon, je dois partir

!Viva La Mancha!

!Con el vito!

Folk songs exist in all countries and come from all centuries, whether in the form of lullabies, love songs or narrative ballads. These songs reflect our societies and diverse cultures. The Quink Vocal Ensemble has captured some of these songs from Europe, the United States and Israel. A number of them were arranged by classical composers such as Ralph Vaughn Williams who actively collected and studied folk songs and Arnold Schoenberg, best known for his less tonal works, set texts from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to create works that rival the best Renaissance madrigals. This CD brings together a quite varied but interesting group of songs.

Invisible Cities

Ton de Leeuw

Missa Brevis

Kyrie eleison

Gloria

Sanctus

Benedictus

Agnus Dei

Priere

Robert Heppener

Canti carnascialeschi:

Trionfo di Bacco e d'Arianna

Daan Manneke

Madrigaal: "La citta sottili"

Huub Kerstens

Als ghy van de doodt sult zijn verbeten, opus 38

Manneke

Psaume 121

De Leeuw

En begheeft my niet

Egidius, waer bestu bleven?

Het visschertje

Kerstens

Les mortels, opus 19b

Manneke

Due Cante

Canto I

Canto 11

On Invisible Cities, Quink Vocal Ensemble perform unusual and striking a cappella repertoire. The performances heard on this recording make up a rare collection of the music of twentieth century Dutch composers. This release contains works rooted in Gregorian chant as well as pieces influenced by the atonal and twelve-tone compositions of this century.

Renaissance Madrigals

Alla Dlce ombra

Dura Legge D'Amor

Lo Non Son Pero Morto

Datemi Pace

Vezzosi Augelli

Baci, Soavi E Cari

Lo Mi Son Giovinetta

Si Ch'io Vorrei Morire

O Selce, O tigre, O Ninfa

Mori Mi Dici

Tirsi Un Giorno Piangea

Pupilette Amorose

Piangete, Occhi Dolenti

Clori Son Fido Amante

From about 1520 to about 1620 the Italian madrigal, which refers to almost any musical setting of secular verse (but especially those whose subject is love and death) of two to eight voice parts, had its brief but brilliant lifetime. Quink, (Kees-Jan de Koning, bass, Harry van Berne, tenor, Paula de Wit, soprano, Machteld van Woerden, soprano, and Corrie Pronk, alto) since its debut in 1978 has established its reputation and following on the international concert scene. "Renaissance" features 14 madrigals, one by Cipriano de Rore, four by Giaches de Wert, three by Claudio Monteverdi, two by Alessandro Scarlatti and four by Alessandro Stradella. The liner notes contain bios of these men, and the words of all the songs in Italian and English. Beautiful harmonies!

English Madrigals

Now Is The Month Of Maying

Farewell, Disdainful

No, No Nigella

Why Should I Grieve?

Sweet Phylida

Phyllis, Now Cease To Move Me

Too Much I Once Lamented

Those Sweet Delightful Lilies

Phyllis, Farewell

Come To Me Grief, Forever

Come, Woeful Orpheus

Fair Phyllis I Saw

Weep, Weep, Mine Eyes

(1st Part)I Fall, I Fall, O Stay Me

(2nd Part) And though my love abounding

Adieu, Sweet Amaryllis

The Nightingale, The Organ Of Delight

Hark, All Ye Lovely Saints

Between 1588 and 1627, the isolation of English musical culture was broken by the influx of Italian music and composers, and during this period a beautiful collection of Madrigals with English words and composers was created. The acclaimed Quink Vocal Ensemble (Kees-Jan de Koning, bass, Harry van Berne, tenor, Paula de Wit, soprano, Machteld van Woerden, soprano, and Corrie Pronk, alto) bring us 18 perfectly-recorded madrigals from this period, three from Thomas Morley, two from Francis Pilkington, two from Thomas Tomkins, two from Thomas Bateson, two from William Byrd, one from John Farmer, four from John Wilbye, and two from Thomas Weelkes. This music is bright and romantic, with a lively grace and harmonic clarity, the result of probably the first English musical "craze!"

Carols Around The World

What Sweeter Music

A Christmas Carol

Adam Lay Abounden

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

The Cherry Tree Carol

Sing A Song Of Christmas

Deck The Hall

In The Bleak Midwinter

A Boy Was Born

What Cheer?

Coventry Carol

Lute-Book Lullaby

Guillaume, Prends Ton Tambourin

Quelle Est Cette Odeur Agreable?

Berceuse

Rocking

Cancion De Navidad

Fum, Fum, Fum

I Saw A Maiden

Komt Verwondert U Hier, Menschen

Herdes, Hij Is Geboren

Des Hirten Wiegenlied

O Jesulein Suss, O Jesulein Mild

Ich Stih' An Deiner Krippe Hier

Es Ist Ein Ros' Entsprungen

Uns Ist Ein Kind Geboren

A Dutch quintet, Quink performs both classical works and lighter, contemporary material. The 26 carols featured here are, as the CD's title implies, indeed culled from many Western traditions, though primarily English, French and German, and include the contemporary, as well as the timeless. Charles Ives' "A Christmas Carol" is a quietly lilting 3/4; Walton's "What Cheer" is a herald of joyous news, a musical announcement. The Polish "Berceuse" has a rocking motion, derived from its repeating major second interval. Favorites include "Deck The Hall," "In The Bleak Midwinter" and "The Cherry Tree Carol." Two delicate Bach works round out this understated and soothing CD.