POETRY AND MUSIC FOR THE BIRTH OF THE HOLY CHILD

Francisco Guerrero was one of the most prominent composers of the Spanish renaissance, beside Tomás Luis de Victoria and Cristóbal de Morales. But unlike those two, Guerrero’s music was both sacred and secular; he wrote several villancicos and instrumental pieces, in addition to Passions, masses and motets.

As the most versatile of them, he wrote many Spanish songs for the Birth of Jesus Christ. In this program, we present some of the Christmas villancicos by Francisco Guerrero in four different sections: the annunciation, the birth, the love, and the mother, describing different aspects and perspectives about the arrival of the Holy Child.

These villancicos, which were a common poetic and music form of the Iberian Peninsula during renaissance and baroque periods, are presented here by five voices, a vihuela and recorders. The instruments sometimes double the voices and sometimes replace them, as a common practice at the time that allows varied and colorful mixtures in the interpretation of this music. 

Programme

Annunciation

Cipriano de Rore/Giovanni Battista Bovicelli, Angelus ad Pastores

Francisco Guerrero, Oy, Joseph

Francisco Guerrero, Prado Ameno        

Francisco Guerrero, Los Reyes

Birth

Francisco Guerrero, A Un Niño Llorando en el Hielo

“Cancionero de Uppsala”, Un Niño nos es Nacido

Francisco Guerrero, Niño Dios

Francisco Guerrero, Hombres, Victoria!

Love

Josquin Desprez/Alonso Mudarra, Kyrie from the mass Beata Virgine

Francisco Guerrero, Acaba de Matarme

Francisco Guerrero, O Venturoso Dia

Mother

Cancionero de Uppsala, Gózate Virgen Sagrada

Francisco Guerrero, Virgen Sancta

Francisco Guerrero, La Gracia y los Ojos Bellos

Francisco Guerrero, La Luz de Vuestros Ojos

Formation:

5 singers, 1 recorder, 1 lute