The decades around 1600 bore witness to the flourishing of a remarkable musical tradition: the art of diminution, in which simple melodies were given exquisitely virtuosic embellishments, effectively creating new works. One such creation, Francesco Rognoni’s ornamentation of Palestrina’s Io son ferito, was captioned ‘con arte e maestria’ – with art and mastery – referring to the consummate craftsmanship displayed in its invention and performance. Giving new life to this tradition was the inspiration for this unique programme: alongside iconic works from the diminution canon, Monteverdi String Band members Oliver Webber and Steven Devine present newly ornamented versions of a selection of sixteenth- and early-seventeenth-century works.

The Prince Regent's band, featuring noted brass players, make their recording debut on Resonous Classics with a celebration of the legendary Distin Family. During the mid-nineteenth century the Distin Family blazed a traila cross Europe and North America performing countless concerts and promoting new and exciting designs of brass instruments. The Distins originally performed on a mixture of natural and keyed brass instruments but halfway through their career, thanks to a chance meeting with Adolphe Sax in Paris in 1844, they adopted the new valved brass instruments, and in particular the new "saxhorn", with which their names became synonymous. In "The Celebrated Distin Family", period brass specialists The Prince Regent's Band have recreated the lost Distin Family repertoire, performing on their unique collection of original saxhorns and other fascinating brass instruments of the period.

For this recording Organist Matthew Owens presents a diverse recital of some of the greatest Christmas music ever written for the instrument. Traditional tunes, whether Lutheran chorales, plainchant, French noëls, or medieval carols, have provided the inspiration for much Christmas organ music throughout the years, with much of this program made up of pieces based on such tunes, from J.S. Bach’s Canonic variations on Vom Himmel hoch to Louis-Claude Daquin’s Noël Suisse. This recital also draws on more contemporary sources and presents several world premiere recordings including Howard Skempton’s Christmas Bells and Gary Davison’s Seven Versets on Divinum Mysterium, both of which were written specially for this recording.

Choral music has always played a significant and central role at Belfast Cathedral, since its consecration in 1904. This strong choral tradition continues to this day with the recently formed all-adult, fully professional vocal ensemble. This ‘new’ cathedral choir brings together some of the finest singers in Northern Ireland who lead the liturgy and worship of Belfast Cathedral and are featured here in their debut album for Resonus Classics. Featuring a varied program of seasonal carols from composers including Elizabeth Poston, John Rutter and Philip Ledger, this album celebrates Christmas from Northern Ireland’s national cathedral.

Missouri-based choir Kantorei of Kansas City and their director Chris Munce return to Resonus Classics with a sparkling recording of carols and motets for Christmas. With a compelling programme of Renaissance and contemporary works for the festive season that presents the Christmas story and the journey to Bethlehem, including a number of world premiere recording. Kantorei explores rarely heard works by Renaissance composers such as Giovanni Bassano, Melchior Vulpius, Jakob Reiner and Blasius Amon combined with contemporary composers including Matthew Culloton, Ivo Antognini, R. Douglas Helvering and Kim André Arnesen among others.

Resonus Classics is proud to release the world premiere recording of Giles Swayne’s epic organ work Stations of the Cross with acclaimed organist Simon Nieminski. Recorded on the Matthew Copley organ of St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Edinburgh, this extensive solo work is at the pinnacle of virtuosic organ repertoire, with each of its fourteen movements representing an episode in the story of the Passion of Christ. Composed during autumn 2004 and early 2005, and one hour in length, Stations is one of the most significant and substantial organ works composed in recent times. Focusing on those human aspects of the Passion most important to Swayne, he has created an intensely powerful and descriptive work.

Beyond Beethoven explores four works by close contemporaries of the great master composer in the early part of the 19th century, chosen partly due to the connections between the composers, Beethoven and his Op. 17 Sonata, and partly to dispel enduring modern myths about the instrument’s limited options. Performing on original period instruments (an 1810 cor solo by Lucien Joseph Raoux, and an 1815 fortepiano by Johann Peter Fritz), Anneke Scott and Steven Devine, take us on a compelling journey through this enlightening corner of the piano and horn repertoire.

For their debut album on Resonus Classics, The Gould Piano Trio presents three Trios with strong American ties. Charles Ives’ (1874–1954) only Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano is one of his major works is without question. Amy Beach (1867–1944) was recognized in her lifetime as one of the most acclaimed American composers. Her Trio, Op. 150, was composed in 1938 and is steeped in the developmental processes of late nineteenth century models while quoting two Inuit folk songs. Although born and educated in England, Rebecca Clarke (1886–1979) wrote her Piano Trio as part of a chamber music competition in Pittsfield MA and has been described as the finest work in the genre by any British composer.

Wells Cathedral Choir and director Matthew Owens are joined by violist Philip Dukes and mezzo-soprano Rachael Lloyd for this exploration of choral works by the American composer Gary Davison. Part of a continuing and fruitful relationship, all of the works on this recording were written for, and premiered by, the Wells choir. Consisting entirely of first recordings, this new album contains Davison’s largest work to date – the 'Missa pro defunctis', a powerful and moving setting of the Requiem – alongside 'Most High, Glorious God', the beautifully simple 'Wessex Service', and the uplifting 'Awake, My Soul'. The Wells Cathedral Choir was hailed in 2011 by an international jury from Gramophone as the greatest choir with children in the world, and the sixth greatest overall. The choir celebrated its 1100th birthday in 2009: boys first sang at Wells Cathedral in 909 and the full choral tradition dates back over 800 years. In 1994 the choral foundation at Wells was enriched by the addition of girl choristers. Today the choir consists of eighteen boy and eighteen girl choristers. and twelve Vicars Choral.

Rarely heard on recording, the songs of Florent Schmitt receive fresh exposure in this significant new survey of these neglected works including a number of world premiere recordings. The qualities that appeal in many of Schmitt’s larger works are found in abundance in this selection that spans his entire creative life: his music’s gorgeous sensuality, biting wit, laconic charm, and unleashed savagery. Pianists Fabienne Romer and Edward Rushton along with an outstanding lineup of soloists, explore this rich seam of complex compositional techniques, revealing a composer of extraordinary individuality along with a fascinating affinity with the darker side of human existence.

The Gentlemen of HM Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace and their director Carl Jackson make their Resonus Classics debut with this album of works for lower voices by Thomas Tallis – himself a Gentleman of the Tudor Chapel Royal serving under four monarchs. Recorded in the impressive surroundings of the Chapel Royal where the choir are resident, this first release with the ensemble presents works for four and seven voices including a reconstruction of Tallis’s Missa Puer natus est nobis based on chant for Christmas Day, and the sumptuous Suscipe quaeso Domine. The Gentlemen of HM Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace sing services throughout the year in the palace’s splendid Chapel Royal, whose ceiling was installed by Henry VIII in the 1530s. There they are joined by up to eighteen boy choristers, who are drawn from schools nearby and led by Carl Jackson, Director of Music. Just as in the sixteenth century, the choir’s personnel is adapted dynamically to the occasion and the demands of the repertory. In ordinary times, there are six Gentlemen and for special occasions the ensemble can expand to as many as fourteen singers.