From the Conductor's Stand - Episode 3
Morales Salva Nos, Stella Maris
Pour yourself a snifter of finest Amontillado as our Musical Director, David Allinson, introduces a modest yet ravishing motet by the great Spaniard, Cristóbal de Morales - Salva Nos, Stella Maris, in which the Tenors and Sopranos are hypnotically linked in canon.
Looking at the structure, possible context and meaning of this piece for Epiphany, he suggests that this may be a youthful work - yet it displays all the features that make Morales the most celebrated international composer of the second quarter of the 16th century.
(Yes, ice cream does appear, though only briely this time, as part of an unwisely extended metaphor about concert programmes being like a fine menu. There is also tortilla, a stork and a questionable hat.)
This is the third in our series, 'From the Conductor's Stand'. We know our audience includes many knowledgeable people who know and love this repertoire, so this is a chance to look a little deeper at individual works, in the company of a friendly guide.
No edits at all this time, so please forgive any minor stumbles - but enjoy the spontenaeity(!) of a single take.
The live performance referred to is here:
The edition of Salva Nos, Stella Maris is here:
https://www.uma.es/victoria/morales.html (you may need to copy and paste this link into a new browser window)
In common with many musical groups, we were unable to perform during the lockdown owing to restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time we found alternative ways of bringing Renaissance music to you, which we hope to continue now that we are back to live performance.
We are incredibly grateful to our generous supporters for their kind donations over recent months, which have helped to sustain the choir. Any donations you feel able to give us will enable us to continue to bring you online content and to present concerts now that restrictions allow.