Earthly Solace is the much-anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed debut album from the Selene Consort, Heavenly Light, which brought back to life choral masterpieces lost for 500 years.
This sequel continues the journey into one of England’s national treasures, the Eton Choirbook, unearthing more musical treasures from the vibrant era of pre-Reformation England. Whilst Heavenly Light focused on the purely celestial, this recording, as its title suggests, finds Earthly Solace through polyphony.
The programme features works reconstructed by Russell Blacker from composers such as John Sygar and William Brygeman alongside two complete pieces that frame the life of Prince Arthur, the elder brother of the future King Henry VIII.
Gilbert Banester O Maria et Elizabeth a5 (prima pars)
William Cornyshe Gaude Flori Virginali a6 (secunda pars)
Robert Fayrfax Ave, Lumen Gratiae a4 (secunda pars)
Gilbert Banester O Maria et Elizabeth a5 (secunda pars)
William Brygeman Salve Regina a5
John Sygar Magnificat a4
Gilbert Banester O Maria et Elizabeth a5 (tertia pars)
John Browne Stabat Iuxta Christi Crucem a6
Walter Lambe O Regina Caelestis Gloriae a6 (prima pars)
| Reviews | 'Details of the process of reconstruction are almost as absorbing as the brilliant singing' – Brian Morton, Choir & Organ Magazine 'Buy it; we may well never see its like again.' Recommended – Gary Higginson, MusicWeb International [On Brygeman's 'Salve Regina'] That substantial Salve Regina is absolutely one of the highlights, and so is a 12 minute Magnificat by John Sygar – in performances that allow the music to breathe and the lines to expand and envelope us – Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3, Record Review Best Classical Albums to Listen to this Month (August 2026). 'Earthly Solace isn’t just the album’s title, it’s also the concrete result as Gilchrist’s ensemble (mostly up to 15 voices) wend their way, either in plangent solo lines or an overwhelming group deluge, through music that manages to reflect human emotions and life on Earth while equally opening the gates of heaven. Some pieces are scarcely known. All are of high quality.' ★★★★☆ Geoff Brown, The Times 'The rawness of emotion that motivated the composition is to some extent mirrored by the performance. From the start, Gilchrist seems content to allow individual vocal characteristics a certain amount of free rein. Presumably, for music that had its roots in improvisation, homogeneity was not such a highly prized virtue in a pre-Enlightenment world. Selene’s sopranos revel in the full-voiced sections of both these exultant scores, enticing the listener to wonder at the extraordinary musical life that must have existed before one of the most far-reaching flashpoints in British history.' Editor's Choice, September 2026 – Tony Way, Limelight, Australia ‘The Selene singers distil impressively the music’s sombre, occasionally impassioned temper. There is much to relish in the world completed by Russell Blacker, be it the beatifically soaring soprano lines in William Cornyshe’s 'Gaude Flori Virginali', or contrapuntal undulations of William Brygeman’s 'Salve Regina'. Best of all, perhaps is Blacker’s rebuild of John Sygar’s four-part 'Magnificat', with exuberant imitative writing… a richly enlightening issue, giving ghost works of the English Renaissance full-bodied life’. ★★★★ – Terry Blain, BBC Music Magazine |
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| Streaming Spotlights | Apple Music / Apple Classical – 10 Classical Albums of the Month (July 2026) – Classical You Must Hear This Month (July 2026) |
