Cristobal de Morales - L'homme armé Masses; Magnificat secundi toni (De Profundis)

Information

Composer: Cristobal de Morales

• L'homme armé (Phrygian Mode)
• Missa L'homme armé a4
• Magnificat secundi toni
• L'homme armé (Ionian mode)
• Missa L'homme armé a5

De Profundis

Robert Hollingworth, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: CORO

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De Profundis presents a continuation of its Morales Project with a focus on two Mass settings based on the anonymous L’homme armé melody, alongside a performance of Cristóbal de Morales’s Magnificat secundi toni. The programme explores the widespread use of the L’homme armé tune in 15th- and 16th-century sacred music, where composers from Guillaume Dufay to Giacomo Carissimi used it as a structural foundation for Mass composition. Performed at original low pitch and using all-adult male voices consistent with Renaissance practice, the ensemble is directed by Robert Hollingworth and Eamonn Dougan. This recording forms part of an ambitious long-term project to release ten albums on CORO, systematically documenting Morales’s sacred works.

Cristóbal de Morales was a major Spanish Renaissance composer born around 1500 in Seville and active until his death in 1553. He is widely regarded as one of the most important Spanish composers before Tomás Luis de Victoria and among the leading sacred music figures in 16th-century Europe. Morales served in key musical posts in Spain before joining the papal choir in Rome, where he gained international recognition and composed a large body of liturgical works, including masses, motets, and Magnificats. His music was widely disseminated across Europe and even reached the New World. Known for expressive polyphony and structural mastery, his works—such as multiple settings of the L’homme armé Mass—had a lasting influence on Renaissance sacred music development.

De Profundis is a specialist early music ensemble dedicated to performing continental Renaissance sacred repertoire at original low pitch using all-adult-male forces, closely reflecting historical performance practice. Founded in 2011 and based in Cambridge, the group focuses on reconstructing the sound world of 16th- and 17th-century church choirs, where male voices carried all vocal lines. It is led by rotating expert conductors, including prominent figures in early music, and brings together carefully selected professional and amateur singers. De Profundis is particularly known for its ambitious recording projects, including a long-term exploration of the complete sacred works of Cristóbal de Morales. The ensemble also performs widely in concerts and recordings across Europe and collaborates with leading early music labels and specialists.

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