Exiled: Music by Philips and Dering

Exiled: Music by Philips and Dering contains music by two exiled English Catholic composers, whose works appear in the scholarly series, Musica Britannica. Most of the pieces on the disc were edited by David J Smith. The recording features consort music for viols performed by the internationally acclaimed Rose Consort, which is joined by the Choir of King's College, Aberdeen, directed by David who also plays keyboard works by Philips on the harpsichord.

The inclusion of consort and keyboard versions of the Paget Pavan and Galliard draws attention to the likely dedicatee, the notorious double agent, Charles Paget, for whom Phillips undertook a spying mission in 1593 which resulted in his imprisonment at The Hague.

Another piece by Philips, the 1580 Pavan, was an international 'hit' of its day. It was widely arranged in a manner not dissimilar to that in which popular artists in covers of existing songs today, but as the original no longer exists, David reconstructed using the earliest surviving arrangements.

David is delighted to be able to bring his editions to life in performance. He comments: “This has been a fantastic project to work on as the music, and indeed the stories behind some music by Peter Philips and Richard Dering, is absolutely fascinating. It is exciting to hear the music I have edited over a period of seven or eight years performed so beautifully by The Rose Consort.

“It is also particularly exciting to see a student choir having the opportunity to perform with the Rose Consort, and I am extremely proud of what they have produced together."