Work: Vidi speciosam

On Saturday at St James’s Church, the Nonsuch Singers presented a captivating programme titled “To the Field of Stars”. It was a compelling mix of recent and old music, predominantly works by living composers and composers from the 16th century. It culminated in the première of Gabriel Jackson’s newly commissioned work To the Field of Stars.

This year, The Sixteen’s Choral Pilgrimage features the work of just one man, Tomás Luis de Victoria, one of the greatest composers of church music of the Renaissance.

As part of the Choral at Cadogan Series, the venerable Tallis Scholars, now in its 38th year, brought a serious programme juxtaposing the sacred music of the Spanish Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611), whose 400th anniversary we are celebrating this year, and that of his Italian near contemporary Giovanni Perluigi Palestrina (1525/6-1594).