Peter Philips: An Englishman Abroad

Peter Philips (1560/1 – 1628) has long existed on the margins of English music. Resident in England until 1582, Philips spent the rest of his life in exile in the Netherlands. It is presumed that Philips’s Catholicism was the motivation behind this move, as Catholics were not permitted to openly practice their faith in England at the time. As many scholars have observed, the long-term neglect of Philips’s music has been partly due to his separation from England and its choral tradition. In recent years, Philips has begun to enjoy the acclaim he deserves as choirs rediscover his glorious motets. The present disc is part of this rediscovery, and marks the 450th anniversary of Philips’s birth.