Although Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621) is now best known for his keyboard music, it was his vocal works that were published during his lifetime. Perhaps his greatest achievement ass a composer was the polyphonic settings for between four and eight voices of all 153 psalms based on the French metrical Psalter of Clement Marot and Theodore de Beze. Published in four volumes between 1604 and 1621, this huge work is one of the great monuments of Protestant sacred polyphony. This 3CD selection from the psalms makes an ideal introduction to them, being performed by a professional Dutch choir, experts in early music and in Renaissance Dutch style in particular, and directed by a number of illustrious names including Paul van Nevel, Philippe Herreweghe, William Christie, Ton Koopman and Peter Philips. The Netherlands Chamber Choir were pioneers in their field, at a time when choirs were behind the pace of instrumental ensembles in terms of taking on a modern understanding of how to perform this repertoire, with smaller forces, tight intonation, pure tone and dynamic thrust of phrase. The selection illustrates the variety and ingenuity to be found in Sweelinck's vocal output as a whole. There is robust, Venetian-style polyphony; elegantly fluid counterpoint; and straightforward, hymn-like simplicity of gesture. Sweelinck shapes and manipulates his original psalm melodies with an imaginative freedom worthy of Bach in his chorale settings. Like Bach, he is a master word-painter, whether evoking concepts of life and death or down-to-earth images of flora and fauna. Recorded in the late 80s at churches in Amsterdam and Haarlem, these performance attracted critical praise when first released, for the 'first-class' vocal ensemble and engineering. This reissue includes full annotations on Sweelinck and the psalm settings included. - Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was a highly influential Dutch composer, organist, and teacher of the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. Among his most notable works are his settings of the Psalms, which show his mastery in both vocal and instrumental music. Sweelinck's Psalms are based on the Genevan Psalter, a collection of psalm settings originally developed by the Protestant reformers, particularly for congregational singing in Reformed churches. - Sweelinck's versions of the Psalms elevate these simple melodies with intricate polyphonic settings, blending Renaissance counterpoint with early Baroque elements. His innovative use of harmony, counterpoint, and expressive text setting reflects his ability to bridge the two eras of music. The Psalms are notable for their emotional depth and variety, capturing the moods of the texts - ranging from joy and praise to lamentation and supplication. - These recordings of a selection from the in total 150 Psalms were made in the 1980s and 1990s, by the famous Netherlands Chamber Choir, conducted by the most notable Early Music conductors of the time: William Christie, Ton Koopman, Peter Phillips, Jan Boeke, Philippe Herreweghe and Paul van Nevel. The choir is supported by a rich instrumental ensemble. - Truly legendary recordings of timeless Choral treasures from the Netherlands! Originally issued by NM Classics.

'72 Angels is a large-scale work for mixed choir and saxophone quartet. It is structured as seventy-two prelude-evocations and an epilogue. Each prelude sets to music one of the seventy- two names derived from an esoteric interpretation of Exodus 14:19-21. Angelic beings, spiritual guides, higher energies or messengers are a common theme throughout many belief systems in human history. My intention in 72 Angels was to focus on what the religious, spiritual, esoteric and mythological traditions of different cultures have in common. I would like to focus on what unites us through shared connections. These seventy-two evocations celebrate all angels in their multifaceted variations... My hope is that every listener or musician will adopt his or her own personal interpretation' - Lera Auerbach. The voices of the Netherlands Chamber Choir, directed by Peter Dijkstra, bring these angels to life here, accompanied by the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet.