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In a Strange Land

In a Strange Land

The regime of Queen Elizabeth I dealt harshly with supporters of the old Catholic religion. Torn between obedience and conscience, some of England’s most talented musicians – Philips, Dering and Dowland – chose a life of exile abroad. Others chose to remain in spiritual isolation in England, comparing themselves to the exiled Israelites in Babylon. Amongst them were Robert White, whose five-part Lamentations are one of the glories of English music of any age, and William Byrd, whose anguished Catholic music is referenced in Shakespeare’s enigmatic poem The Phoenix and the Turtle, vividly set by Huw Watkins especially for Stile Antico, and receiving its first recording here.

Recorded: February, 2018
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Format: CD
Catalogue Number: HMM902266

The dozen voices of Stile Antico give achingly expressive performances of Elizabethan masterpieces… Outstanding.

Sunday Times

£11.99 (plus P&P)

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Shipping is available to UK addresses only. International customers can purchase at popular online music retailers.

Diapason d’Or, February 2019

Diapason d’Or, February 2019

The ensemble blends beautifully, so the harmonies seem to glow… an ecstatic performance.

Classical Iconoclast (11 December, 2018)

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The dozen voices of Stile Antico give achingly expressive performances of Elizabethan masterpieces…

SP, Sunday Times (6th January, 2019)

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Stile Antico, as ever, excel in plangency… their sound is meltingly gorgeous.

Edward Breen, Gramophone (January 2019)

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Stile Antico… sing with glowing perfection and textural precision

Ken Walton, The Scotsman (January 14th, 2019)

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Superb… as a survey of the beautifully wrought and moving church music of England’s hidden Catholics, this CD could hardly be bettered.

Ivan Hewitt, The Daily Telegraph (13 January, 2019)

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Stile Antico, the 12-strong ensemble whose name signals tonal purity, precision and musical intelligence…

Fiona Maddocks, The Observer (20 January, 2019)

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As imaginatively conceived and exquisitely sung as one would expect… Superb performances that combine ensemble warmth with just enough grit to intensify the emotional edge. 

James M. Keller, Santa Fe New Mexican (8 February, 2019)

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Stile Antico are brought out in their full intensity by the program… a recommended release.

James Mannheim, Allmusic.com (February, 2019)

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The emotional force of these songs transcends formal perfection and vocal purity: it speaks through the harmonious and balanced interweaving of voices…

EH, La Liberté (19 January 2019)

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  1. Dowland: Flow, my tears
  2. Byrd: Tristitia et anxietas
  3. Dering: Factum est silentium
  4. Dowland: In this trembling shadow
  5. Philips: Gaude Maria virgo
  6. De Monte: Super flumina Babylonis
  7. Byrd: Quomodo cantabimus
  8. Philips: Regina caeli, laetare
  9. Huw Watkins: The Phoenix and the Turtle
  10. White: Lamentations a5

Buy Online

Stile Antico is delighted to make its recordings available to UK customers through this website. Each disc is offered at the competitive price of £11.99 (plus P&P*), a saving of at least 20% on the high street price, except for Music for Compline at just £6.99 and Sing with the Voice of Melody at £7.99. In purchasing directly from Stile Antico, rather than through third-party retailers, you directly benefit the work of the group.

With the exception of Music for Compline, Tenebrae Responsories, In a Strange Land and A Spanish Nativity, all Stile Antico’s discs on the Harmonia Mundi label are issued in Hybrid SACD format, offering surround sound to those with SACD equipment, whilst playing in all conventional CD players.

Shipping is available to UK addresses only. International customers can purchase at popular online music retailers.

  • * P&P costs are £2.25 for one CD, £4.25 for 2-10, £6.25 for 11-20
  • Payment must be made through PayPal (no account necessary) in Pounds Sterling.
  • All prices include VAT at 20%. If you require a VAT receipt, please request one by selecting “Add special instructions to merchant” at the checkout.
  • Purchasers will also receive an invitation to join Stile Antico’s mailing list.

For all queries, before and after purchase, please contact cdsales@stileantico.co.uk.