John Sheppard - Cantate Mass: The Sixteen
Two discs and only 4 of 20 tracks are the Cantate mass - there's also a good range of motets including many of Sheppard's best known pieces, such as the Christmas motet Verbum caro factus est and the beautiful Libera nos. If you need convincing of Sheppard's genius, just listen to the Amen of Jesu salvator saeculi, redemptis - taken individually some of the lines sound positively 20th century in their modernity, and in combination it takes your breath away - it's hard not to say 'he can't do that!' - but he does. Perhaps the only criticism is that the Sixteen underplay the clashes so they aren't quite as shocking as they could be. Even so, probably the best introduction to Sheppard now on the market.
Welcome to the Church Music Site
If you are singing or playing church music we have a books and sheet music section, with everything from free downloadable sheet music to online shopping for hymn books and anthems. There's also a small section of books about church music.
Don't know where to start? If you aren't sure what the fuss is about, try out a couple of samples:
Real Audio
From the excellent Atlanta Sacred Chorale - a snippet of Tallis' If ye love me
From the Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir - Howell's A Spotless rose
MP3
From the Chapel Choir of Royal Holloway College - a small part of Byrd's Sing Joyfully
Use the menu at the top to navigate easily around the site. You can click on the main tabs, or the menus that drop down from them.