Queen Mary's Big Belly
2017
The spirit of a euphoric moment in Queen Mary I's reign, when she and the nation believed she was expecting a child, and her subsequent descent into a depression as it was finally recognized that no heir would be born, is captured in the music of her most important composers, including Tye, Mundy, Tallis and Sheppard. It is available from Signum Classics.
Editor's Choice Award
...sumptuous music... performed with supreme artistry by vocal group Gallicantus. The singers nurse the lines with the greatest care, distinguishing the sections with subtle colours. Brilliant both musicologically and artistically.
Early Music Today
Gallicantus are singers of the highest order and, concept or no concept, we should be grateful to them for creating a programme of such wonderful music and drawing it to our attention.
MusicWeb International
The Litany, in particular, is beautifully sung and is one of the many moments which make this imaginative, informatively annotated programme worth investigating.
BBC Music Magazine
An intriguing idea… radiantly sung, a story told with relish and great historical context musically and in the extensive notes.
Record Review