The British choir called the Sixteen and its director Harry Christophers have succeeded in bringing the choral music of the Renaissance and Baroque to broad audiences with sunny, attractive sound from its mixed-gender, all-adult forces. Here it turns, no doubt to the delight of those who've already discovered this tradition, to the rich and fascinating music of Spanish-colonial Mexico. Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla was a Spaniard who emigrated to Mexico in midlife and became the choirmaster at the magnificent cathedral in ...
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The British choir called the Sixteen and its director Harry Christophers have succeeded in bringing the choral music of the Renaissance and Baroque to broad audiences with sunny, attractive sound from its mixed-gender, all-adult forces. Here it turns, no doubt to the delight of those who've already discovered this tradition, to the rich and fascinating music of Spanish-colonial Mexico. Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla was a Spaniard who emigrated to Mexico in midlife and became the choirmaster at the magnificent cathedral in Puebla, colonial Mexico's "second city." His music harks back to that of the Spanish High Renaissance: it is mostly a cappella (a small continuo group is used in a few pieces), with smoothly measured polyphony and the thoroughgoing dark hues of Victoria. The Streams of Tears of the title come from a line, a mixed metaphor in fact, from the motet Mirabilia testimonia tua: "Exitus aquarum deduxerunt oculi mei, quia non custodierunt legem tuam" (Streams of tears flow from my eyes because...
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