The performers manage to give these ‘dark meanderings’ some shape and purpose with contrasts of mood…vigorous interplay between the voices…and some surprising musica ficta harmonies…They are at their most splendid in the motet O beata Basili…and in the soaring heights of the ‘o pia’ section of the Salve Regina.

Missa Grecorum offers us Obrecht in his more common, dense polyphonic mode. Thick, rich textures weaving like garlands around the sustained cantus firmus suit this ensemble well and their bright, young voices make a delight of the glorious long sonorous notes of the ‘Grecorum’ melody…Obrecht’s music and these performances are ravishingly beautiful and form a well-matched pair.

The mixed voice Brabant Ensemble has built its reputation on Renaissance sacred music, and tackles Obrecht’s rich, sensuous textures and tangy dissonances with both purity and robustness. The long “amen” in the motet O beate Basili, on disc for the first time, is especially splendid.