Pierre de Manchicourt has emerged at last from the shadows and taken his place among the group of Franco-Flemish composers who dominated the European musical scene during the second third of the 16th-century. His name, now included on a list of luminaries that includes Jacobus Clemens non Papa, Thomas Crecquillon, and Nicolas Gombert, adds to the portrait of those significant composers who held prestigious positions during the lives and reigns of Charles V and Philip II. Manchicourt was active in Burgundy and Spain, had many of his motets and chansons published during his lifetime, and was one of the most famous composers of his time. The majority of his works were published by Pierre Attaingnant, who included his music in no less than fifteen of his collections. In 1539, Attaingnant devoted his fourteenth book of motets entirely to Manchicourt, an unusual feat in an age when most motet collections featured a variety of composers. The collection was immensely popular and was reprinted in 1545. By 1600, Manchicourt was largely forgotten. David Shuler is Director of Music and Organist at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in New York City, where he oversees an extensive music program. In addition to an active children s chorister program, a professional choir sings masses and motets from the fifteenth century to the present day at the principal services of the church throughout the year. The choir is featured in an annual concert series of early music, and has made numerous recordings. Shuler is also the Music Director of the Dalton Chorale in Manhattan. In addition to his work with historically informed performances of early music, Shuler has been active as a champion of contemporary music, having premiered organ works of Charles Wuorinen, William Albright, Ralph Shapey, and Gunther Schuller, among others. A Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, he was awarded the certificate at the age of 22, being one of the youngest organists ever to achieve this distinction. Shuler recently completed a term as President of the Association of Anglican Musicians. Educated at the Eastman School of Music, Columbia University, and the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, David Shuler studied organ with David Craighead and Leonard Raver, composition with Joseph Schwantner, Samuel Adler and Gunther Schuller, and conducting with Amy Kaiser.
The Choir of St. Luke in the Fields is the resident vocal ensemble at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in New York City's historic Greenwich Village. Under the direction of David Shuler since 1988, the Choir regularly performs masses and motets dating from the 15th century to the present as part of the church s liturgy. They appear frequently in concert, and are known for their historically informed performances of early music. The Choir presented the North American premieres of Georg Phillip Telemann s St. Matthew Passion (1746) in 2003 and St. Luke Passion (1748) in 2013. In 2011, the ensemble gave the first New York City performance of C.P.E. Bach s St. Matthew Passion (1769). Excerpts from their 2009 Music at the Sistine Chapel concert were featured on an ABC news documentary aired in May of that same year, Secrets of the Sistine - Michelangelo s Mystery. In addition, the Choir has presented a number of premieres of new works, including the New York premieres of Arvo Part s Berliner Messe and Missa Syllabica and Dan Locklair s Brief Mass. The ensemble has garnered consistently high praise in the press for their concert performances.
![Pierre de Manchicourt: Missa Reges terrae [World Premiere Recording]; Regis terrae, Caro mea, Ne reminiscaris, Vidi speciosum, Regina caeli](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61RzFo9LjQL._SL500_.jpg)