Religious roads taken

These new recordings released over Eastertide 2026 show that, against the background of religious conflict and upheaval across three centuries, from the early Renaissance to the dawning of the Age of Enlightenment, musical forms and styles remained remarkably similar. Despite doctrinal and political differences between the Catholic and Protestant faiths, the music associated with them shared many common features, not least an enduring sense of spiritual devotion. One aspect of early religious music that is often overlooked is its assimilation of popular and secular forms. This is explored by vocal and instrumental ensemble Le Miroir de Musique in Ubis caritas: Italian laude in early Renaissance (Ricercar Ric486, issued 2026). The recording examines the musical world of Venice’s scuole grandi. These were lay confraternities whose members were associated with the various trades and crafts of the city. Each scuola had its own patron saint and engaged in charitable works for their members’ families and communities. Vocal and instrumental music were regular features at official gatherings, chapel services and celebratory processions. Performances of laude―songs of praise and contemplation sung in Latin or Italian―were especially common. These were mostly homophonic in style, although, from the end of the 15th century, musicians began to absorb polyphonic influences from the Franco-Flemish schools. European courtly songs were also adapted and combined with religious texts to produce devotional music through which the scuole grandi (there were five of them at the turn of the 16th century) vied with each other for attention and prestige.