A very special spatial situation with the singers in the middle of the room, atmospheric lighting moods and the unique choral sound of the La Cetra Vocal Ensemble create an extraordinary, a mystical concert experience.
The mass “Mille regretz” by the Andalusian Cristóbal de Morales was probably first performed in Rome in Holy Week 1536 – shortly after Morales had become a member of the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo had begun the fresco “The Last Judgement” above the altar of the chapel.
The mass – a parody mass – is based on the French chanson “Mille regretz” by Josquin Desprez, which, however, refers to a more secular “thousand regrets”: namely, the estrangement of a lover from his beloved. This piquant detail, however, did not prevent Morales from using the melody, which was widely known at the time, in the Kyrie, Gloria and Credo of his complex six-part mass. Sanctus and Agnus Dei also refer to this song, but come from the second tradition of the Mass, namely from 1575 and the Spanish Capilla Real.
A small children’s choir and the Renaissance instruments dulcian and cornett establish the typical Spanish colouring of the choral sound of the time.
The conventional concert seating is removed and the singers are placed in the centre of the church space. Atmospheric lighting moods and a careful staging of this complex music make the evening an extraordinary experience.