The Sixteen and Harry Christophers Release Palestrina, Vol. 3 Album

Conductor Harry Christophers and stunning British choral ensemble The Sixteen offer their third volume of choral works by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestina (1525-1594), "the prince and father of music," exploring music for the Easter period. The highly-anticipated volume follows Volume 1, an International Classical Music Award winner, and Volume 2, based on themes of the Nativity. Palestrina, Volume 3 on The Sixteen's own CORO label is available now from Allegro Classical.

Several of the works on this new recording "celebrate the joyful part of Easter-the Resurrection-and the central mass is the wonderfully inspired Missa Regina caeli. The Mass is based on the well-known plainchant Antiphon Regina caeli and the disc also includes the 8-voice motet of the same name. The recording would not be complete without what is possibly Palestrina's most famous piece in current times: the eloquent and masterly 8-voice Stabat Mater which emphasizes the other side of the Easter story-the agony and pain of the Crucifixion, with its unremittingly harrowing text."

Additional recent recordings from CORO include Handel's biblical epic Saul, named "Recording of the Month" by Gramophone, and Mozart's Coronation Mass with Christophers and his US-based ensemble, Boston's Handel and Haydn Society. Awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2012, Harry Christophers appears in Boston with H&H in February for works by Haydn and in May for Handel's Jeptha.