01. Missa pro defunctis Introit
02. Missa pro defunctis Kyrie
03. Missa pro defunctis Sequence
04. Missa pro defunctis Sanctus
05. Missa pro defunctis Agnus Dei
06. Missa pro defunctis Communio
07. Missa pro defunctis Libera me, Domine
08. Lamentationes Jeremiae Vau
09. Lamentationes Jeremiae Zain
10. Lamentationes Jeremiae Lamed
11. Lamentationes Jeremiae Mem
12. Tristitia obsedit me – Infelix ego
13. Absalon, Fili Mi
14. Missa pro defunctis In paradisum
15. Ma fin est mon commencement
New York Polyphony has assembled a programme of sacred vocal music composed largely by Franco-Flemish composers active in the first half of the 16th century, exploring from a number of perspectives the themes of grief, loss and mortality.
This music was produced during a volatile period in European history, a time punctuated by religious persecution, destructive war-fare, and repeated outbreaks of plague and famine. Death was an ever-present and inescapable companion even for the most privileged members of society.
Music played a vital role in helping people cope with the feelings of sadness, loss and anger over death, whether through the raw expression of personal grief in a devotional lament, or the more reserved expression of collective grief found in music intended to accompany a formal liturgical ceremony.