BBC Music Magazine Christmas 2018 Choral & Song Choice

Stephen Rice and his Brabant Ensemble introduce us to another lesser-known contemporary and compatriot of Josquin. This is a release which will have everyone talking about Févin.

An important contribution to our understanding of the ‘gentle master musician’…Stephen Rice brings perceptive musical insights to these accounts, and also sheds light on Févin’s idiom in the excellent CD booklet. His vocal ensemble may be slender but the singing is robust and buoyantly articulated. Boyish upper voices offset velvety tenors and basses, and the relatively close recording perspective produces a sound at once lucid and lustrous. BBC *****

The Brabant Ensemble sing with an unfussy elegance, keeping textures clear and unhurried; I particularly like the simplicity with which they approach the most emotional moments…The real jewel on this disc is the motet Ascendens Christus in altum…This motet in particular suits The Brabant Ensemble extremely well, showcasing their wonderfully bright sopranos in a ravishing trio. Gramophone