Masses by Ashwell and Aston

Thomas Ashwell/Hugh Aston: Two Tudor masses for the cardinal
Christ Church Cathedral Choir - Stephen Darlington
Metronome 1030/31 (2 CDs; low-priced)

Contents:

    Thomas Ashwell: Missa Jesu Christe
  1. Gloria
  2. Credo
  3. Sanctus
  4. Agnus Dei
    Hugh Aston: Missa Videte manus meas
  1. Gloria
  2. Credo
  3. Sanctus
  4. Agnus Dei

Performers: John Bailey, Edwin Bennet, Henry Bennet, Stephen Berryman, Andrew Blythman, Jonathan Burgess, Robert Crabtree, Oliver Diamond, Henry Jones, George Leroy, Charles Lousada, Lancelot Nomura, Edward Waller, James Waller (Trebles); Robin Barry, Tim Dallosso, Richard Hoult, Andrew Olleson, Timothy Symons (Alto); Andrew Carwood, Alex Osiatynski, Paul Thompson (Tenor I); Edwin Simpson, Adam Tunnicliffe, Tim Wells (Tenor II); Karl Dyson, Paul Sartin (Baritone); Jonathan Brown, Giles Underwood (Bass)

Playing time: 43'21 (CD1), 49'27 (CD2)

Recording date: June 1998

The masses by Thomas Ashwell (c.1482-after 1513) and Hugh Aston (c.1485-1558) on this recording survive in the Forrest-Heather partbooks, one of the most important sources of early Tudor polyphony (which was probably compiled under the supervision of John Taverner). These pieces are fine examples of the early 16th-century English festal mass.

Some more famous contemporaries:

Ludford: Missa Videte miraculum / Ave cuius conceptio
The Cardinall's Musick - Andrew Carwood / David Skinner
AS&V Gaudeamus 131
Merbecke: Missa Per arma iustitie
The Cardinall's Musick - Andrew Carwood
AS&V Gaudeamus 148

And a more recent recording featuring Aston:

Aston: Three Marian Antiphons
Music from the Peterhouse Partbooks, volume 1
Blue Heron - Scott Metcalfe
Blue Heron 1002

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Ted Dumitrescu