The turbulent years of Reformation and religious change in England presented composers working for the church with the continual challenge of having to adapt to rapidly changing musical requirements. Although little is known about the personal religious affiliation of composers such as Christopher Tye, Robert Parsons and Robert White, their Latin music represents by far the most interesting and significant musical thought of its time.

On Christmas Day 1554 the Spanish Armada was a long way off on the horizon. Mary Tudor had married Prince Philip of Spain, and in celebration of her pregnancy Tallis had composed the Mass Puer natus, which may well have been performed in St Paul's Cathedral on this special day. For this splendid ceremony the English Chapel Royal and choir of St Paul's were joined by Prince Philip of Spain's Capilla Flamenca to sing music by great composers from both countries. This recording presents a number of works which were likely to have been performed by these choirs on this special occasion.

CORO is delighted to announce the release of the BBC's groundbreaking Sacred Music series on DVD. Presented by renowned actor and former chorister, Simon Russell Beale, Sacred Music explores the flowering of Western sacred music in four episodes. Taking the viewer on a pilgrimage spanning six centuries Simon presents a rich mix of personal, political and musical stories. Each episode features some of the greatest choral music ever written, all performed by the Gramophone Award-winning and Grammy-nominated choir The Sixteen conducted by Harry Christophers in appropriate architectural settings. "Whatever your faith, or lack of faith, there's something very moving about the fact that what these composers regarded as their highest calling was the praise of God. There was always a more important reason for writing this music than the vanity of pleasure." Simon Russell Beale

Of all Handel's great oratorios, Israel in Egypt is second only to Messiah in drama. It is dominated by massive virtuosic choruses, making it the perfect piece for The Sixteen, acknowledged by audiences and critics alike. It's not surprising that Israel in Egypt is much-performed. Hailstones and lightning, buzzing flies and leaping frogs, are all brilliantly evoked for choir and orchestra in a series of incisive choruses leading us excitedly through the plagues of Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea as we follow Moses and the Children of Israel through the story of the Exodus. The epic nature of the story could not be more suited to Handel's genius for story-telling and drama.

Padilla is symbolic of an age. One of the most important composers of the ‘New World’, Padilla was a native of Spain who emigrated to Mexico at a time when the church had money as well as a great appreciation of art in the service of the church. Streams of Tears reflects not only the penitential nature of this music but also a period in history know as the ‘Siglo de Oro’ when Spain and Portugal were masters of the great ocean and in the process of discovering and developing new lands in the Americas. The music of the period is as varied as it is distinctive, with a harmonic richness and colour that is found nowhere else.

The fifth volume in this highly acclaimed series, conducted by The Sixteen’s Associate Conductor, Eamonn Dougan, celebrates the music of Polish composer Marcin Mielczewski. Together with Bartlomiej Pekiel, Mielczewski was amongst the most notable of 17th-century Polish composers and was recognised as a leader among his contemporaries. Influenced by the many Italian composers who graced the Polish courts in the 1600s, Mielczewski was a prolific composer. The cross-section of works recorded here shows an exceptionally accomplished musician at work, one whose music deserves a wider audience and who can confidently stand alongside the maestri who came before him and from whom he learnt his craft.

Continuing its work with the rising stars of the early music world, CORO is delighted to present its second recording with one of The Sixteen Orchestra's principal members - Robert Quinney. This album, which was recorded at Trinity College, Cambridge, on the beautiful Metzler Organ, features a number of virtuosic works from Bach's early years including one of the most famous pieces of organ music in the repertory - the Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565). The disc also includes the Toccata and Fugue in F (BWV 540) and the Passacaglia (BWV 582) - one of Bach's most well-known and important organ works. Robert Schumann described the variations of Passacaglia as 'intertwined so ingeniously that one can never cease to be amazed.'

Continuing its work with young artists, CORO has the pleasure of releasing Auf Wiener Art - the second recording by Le Jardin Secret, winners of both the first prize and audience prize at the Early Music Network Young Artists Competition 2007. Following on from their debut album, Musique Pour Mazarin!, Auf Wiener Art is a fascinating pot-pourri of musical gems from the Habsburg Imperial Court. The house of Habsburg and its court lived and breathed music. Encouraged by the infectious musical appetites of the Italophile imperial family and in particular, Leopold I (the so-called “Musikkaiser”), the court was fed a daily diet rich in vocal and instrumental music for stage and church. Given its vast geographic spread, the Austrian empire encompassed many cultures, elements of which enrich the music of this time. This, as well as the wave of Italian composers imported to service the imperial court, create a multi-faceted musical legacy which is both spirited and fresh.

Since they were founded in 1979 Harry Christophers and The Sixteen have recorded over 100 discs of choral music spanning 600 years. On this collection, CORO presents a selection of their most celebrated recordings of music by British composers. From Tallis's monumental Spem in Alium and Sheppard's Media Vita in morte sumus to the delights of Purcell's The Fairy Queen and MacMillan's powerfully emotive A Child's Prayer written in memory of the Dunblane tragedy, this disc provides a superb collection of works from some of Britain's most eminent composers. Sixteen tracks, eleven composers, and a feast of British choral music that will delight fans of The Sixteen as well as those new to the ensemble.

The Hilliard Ensemble is one of the world's finest vocal chamber groups, and is probably unrivalled for its formidable reputation in the fields of both early and new music. This series was only previously available direct from the group but has never before been fully available at international retail.

The famous Hilliard Ensemble presents a tribute to the fifteenth-century master composer Ockeghem. Interspersed with the music are parts of Guillaume Crétin’s Lament on the Death of the Late Ockeghem, Treasurer of Saint Martin of Tours, in a specially commissioned translation, read by Bob Peck. This disc is the second of four live discs by The Hilliard Ensemble to be released on CORO. The first disc – Pérotin and the Ars Antiqua - won a Diapason D’Or.

The fifth and final volume of the Eton Choirbook collection which miraculously survived Henry VIII's ransacking of the monasteries. Thanks to its survival, the sacred music of the English fifteenth-century is still with us, conjuring up the atmosphere and spirit of the glorious cathedrals for which it was written. It also gives a tantalising glimpse of a wealth of choral music which was lost.

This is the fourth volume in the distinguished & collectable Eton Choirbook series on CORO. Miraculously, the Eton Choirbook survived Henry VIII's ransacking of the monasteries. Thanks to its survival, the sacred music of the English fifteenth-century is still with us, conjuring up the atmosphere and spirit of the glorious cathedrals for which it was written. It also gives a tantalising glimpse of a wealth of choral music which was lost.

As a young man Handel spent four years in Italy, forging a uniquely exuberant operatic style. During that time he composed these three cantatas about classical love, a favourite theme of baroque composers. Ann Murray, a superb Handelian singer, here explores the different emotions engendered by the departure, absence, and finally the death of a lover, all with a telling range of colour and nuance much acclaimed in her Handel performances at English National Opera.

Musique Pour Mazarin! is the debut recording by le Jardin Secret, winners of both the first prize and audience prize at the Early Music Network Young Artists Competition 2007. This talented young ensemble consisting of soprano, harpsichord, theorbo, viola da gamba and baroque cello, present a delightfully varied programme featuring a diverse mixture of French and Italian music that would have been heard at the court of the flamboyant Cardinal Jules Mazarin.