T his songbook, which was compiled in 1542, is one of the few to have been preserved in Flanders, and is an exceptionally fine example of the 16th century musical activity in middle class society.

It is characterized by a varied content that has both an international and a local orientation. It contains religious music such as masses and motets as well as profane music represented by the Dutch polyphonous song, the French chanson and the Italian madrigal as well instrumental music. The music is partly composed by well-known international composers (Willaert, Josquin, Mouton), and partly by local composers (Lupus, Gheerkin, Lapperdy, Raedt).

The close attention and care given to the book, is clearly an indication of high self-esteem of its proud owner, Zeghere van Male, merchant, husband, father of sixteen children, politician, writer, and cultivated bourgeois.

 

For this recording, an earnest attempt has been made to suggest the musical landscape of Bruges anno 1542: historical 'impossible' sound combinations were therefore left out. When choosing the instrumentation, we usually envisioned a middle class music society. Not only voices but also all kinds of instruments were used, especially instruments that were very popular in the middle of the 16th century, such as the lute, the (viola da gamba and the recorder. For the pronunciation, we opted for a reconstruction of the mid-16th century idiom, whereby regional variants are often responsible for a kind of surprise-effect.

Eufoda 1155, 1994

1-5: Sacral music

1.        Preludium
2.        Laus Deo
3.        Muse Jovis
4.        Sanctus (from Missa 'C'est doncq par moy)

5.        intemerata
 

6-11: Songs from the Low Countries
6.        Mijn hert altijt
7.        Mijn hert altijt
8.        Duo zonder name
9.        Den zin verblyt
10.     Ghequest ben ic
11.     Het was my wel te vooren
 

12-20: French chansons
12.     Chantons, sonnons trompettes
13.     Jouissance vous donneray
14.     cueur ingrat
15.     Mon petit cueur
16.     Forseulement
17.     Mille regretz
18.     Rejoïssés vous
19.     C'est doncq par moy
20.     Qui l'ara, l'ara
 

21-22: Dance-music
21.     Pavane
22.     Basse danche
 

23-25: Early-known Madrigals from the Low Countries

23.     Ognun si duçol'
24.     Se l'ardor
25.     Donna leggiadra

Els Delsupehe (soprano, portative organ, crumhorn);
Paul Gerhardt Adam (countertenor);
Edmund Brownless (tenor);
Dirk Snellings (bass, Renaissance gamba, crumhorn);
Carine Rinkes (Renaissance block-flute, dulcian, crumhorn);
Eugeen Schreurs (Renaissance gamba, crumhorn);
Hans Michael Koch (Renaissance lute);
Paul van Loey (Renaissance block-flute).