Jacques Garcia

Given that not one of the Masses by Jacques Arcadelt was included in our boxed set that revealed his immense musical personality to the world, we now remedy this situation with an indispensable addition. Leonardo Garcia Alarcon chose the Missa Noe Noe, which is presented here in the context of the Christmas liturgy. We have also included motets not only by Arcadelt but also by Josquin Desprez, as he was the great model for musicians of his generation. The recording ends resoundingly with Josquin's imposing Benedicta es coelorum regina for six voices, although in an expanded version for twelve voices by Jean Guyot de Chatelet (1512 - 1588): another Walloon composer to be discovered!

BarrocoTout makes its recording debut following a prize-winning performance at the highly respected biennial York Early Music International Young Artists Competition. After a hard-fought competition Philip Hobbs, Chairman of the Judges and Linn’s Chief Producer, said: “The level of musical performance has been exceptional… BarrocoTout are an extraordinary ensemble.” Formed at the Royal Conservatoires in Brussels, the ensemble has chosen to champion the music of a hitherto neglected Belgian composer: Henri-Jacques de Croes. Treading a path between French, Italian and German influences, de Croes produced music that was courtly yet with enlightenment aspirations.