Contrapunctus and Professor Owen Rees nominated for Gramophone Award

The new album by Contrapunctus, a professional vocal consort directed by Professor Owen Rees, has been nominated for the Gramophone Early Music Award.

‘The Sweetest Songs’ is the third and final release in Contrapunctus’s series (begun in 2015) presenting music from the Baldwin Partbooks, the richest manuscript collection of Tudor polyphony, preserved in Christ Church library. Each of the discs has explored a contrasting aspect of this remarkable collection, and this final CD opens a window on a striking aspect of the history of the motet in England: the psalm motet.

In shortlisting the release, Gramophone noted that “Owen Rees’ direction is sharp and incisive: his reading of the Parsons, for example, makes the most of an exceptionally engaging piece.”

The Baldwin Partbooks recording project by Contrapunctus was supported by the University’s John Fell Fund, and Contrapunctus gave associated concerts as part of its Faculty of Music residencies.

You can find more information about The Sweetest Songs by Contrapunctus here.