The Masses of Cardoso and his Portuguese contemporaries follow an interesting pattern in their Kyries, providing two distinct polyphonic settings of the Christe. This Kyrie–Christe–Christe–Kyrie sequence is only exceptionally found in the Spanish and Roman etc. schools, but was standard on the Iberian Peninsula in the 16th and early 17th centuries. What is the significance of this and how does it affect our approach to performance?
Read moreGetting things in sequence
The Propers for the Mass for Pentecost include the beautiful Sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus. Sequences, once a regular part of the Church’s liturgies, now occur infrequently, being obligatory only twice a year: on Easter and Pentecost Sundays.
Read moreAlleluia, alleluia
Eastertide is a time of great joy in the church, and the exuberance expressed in much of the music is infectious, with motets being appended at every opportunity with catchy Alleluia refrains. The propers of the Mass are likewise peppered, and Alleluia takes over entirely after the first reading. Here, in the Graduale Romanum, the Gradual is replaced by a second Alleluia.
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