Taverner’s Western Wynde Mass is often held up as one of the composer’s masterpieces. It is certainly one of his most influential works but I’m not sure whether, despite containing some of his finest writing, it quite transcends the four-square element in its construction. Of all the recordings I have heard, however, this new one from Ars Nova under Paul Hillier’s direction comes closest to dispelling those doubts. Tempi are brisk, the projection of the lines energetic; next to them, the Tallis Scholars’ version (Gimell, 9/93), though technically more assured overall, sounds cautious, not to say bland. In some of the fiercely demanding sections for reduced voices (the Benedictus, for example), the Danish singers are heard to strain but in the full sections they are as dynamic and outgoing as the music itself. As to the brief settings of the Kyrie (Leroy) and In pace with which the disc opens and closes, they show a more contemplative side to Taverner, to which Ars Nova respond most movingly.

Another of this disc’s strengths is the interleaving of the Mass with devotional part-songs drawn from the Fayrfax manuscript, which represents an earlier generation of English composers. Hillier’s earlier foray into this exciting repertory was the Hilliard Ensemble’s first recording, nearly 30 years ago (“Songs for a Tudor King” on Saga). While I believe it sounds best with solo voices (and what soloists they were!), Ars Nova handle it very sensitively. Cornysh’s Woefully arrayed is justly famous but as a fan of the incomparable John Browne I welcome the only available recording of his Jhesu, mercy. In all, a very valuable addition to the discography.