Hector Campos Parsi wrote these Sacred Sonnets in 1986 for the 500th anniversary of Columbus' voyage of discovery and they are based on Spanish songs from the 16th and 17th centuries. As you may expect, the harmony has been given a modern twist but the instrumental writing has a rhythmic unity which enables the voice to carry through the textures. The vocal part can be sung by either a soprano or a tenor, and is mostly very lyrical in nature. The sonnets have been extremely well set and this is a work which will delight all those who encounter it.
A leading composer of Puerto Rico, Campos Parsi (1925-1998) wrote this work for woodwind quintet and Spanish voice (soprano or tenor) to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage to the Americas. This challenging five movement recital piece is a fusion of modern composition with old world Spanish Renaissance poetry and musical styles.
