The motet "Colligite pueri flores" has not yet been released. Pre-order CDs at cozzolani.com/subscribe and receive free digital downloads of all tracks as they become available. Please visit cozzolani.com for more information about Cozzolani and these recordings.
One of the most immediately attractive of Cozzolani's Eucharistic duets is Colligite, pueri, flores, whose floral allusions evoke both the contemporary symbolism of the sacrament and make more specific reference to the feast of Corpus Christi, which occurs around the time of the first blooming of flowers. Devotion to the Body of Christ was one of the central features of nuns' spiritual life, and the opening of this text, with its call to virgins to strike the cymbals (or harpsichords) in praise of the Host, seems to be a direct reference to some of the most typical activities of cloistered sisters (who were also renowned for their floral arrangements). Like several other motets in Cozzolani's books, this piece culminates in a hymn-like section ('Salve, panis angelorum') which recalls the opening of the motet, resolves the sudden contrasts of earlier sections, and brings tonal stability to the setting as a whole.
Magnificat
Warren Stewart, artistic director
Catherine Webster & Jennifer Ellis Kampani, soprano
David Tayler, theorbo
Hanneke van Proosdij, organ