The vocal ensemble Capella Hafniensis was founded in 1990 on the initiative of the musicologist and church musician Ole Kongsted. Capella Hafniensis is the most highly specialized early music ensemble in the Nordic countries, and the only professional vocal ensemble in Denmark that works exclusively with Renaissance music from northern Europe. It has a core of eight singers which can be expanded as required. The unique repertoire of the ensemble—based on the results of research done in recent years on northern European musical history in the sixteenth century—consists primarily of sacred and court music from Denmark and the Baltic area c. 1515–c. 1620. Among the most important sources from this area and this time that have been identified in recent years are the Flensburg Collection, 25 unique items from c. 1570–c. 1600, including the Kranborq Motets (1582) and the present collection, Musica Nuptialis (1590). This material and much more—among other things works by a number of Danish Kapellmeister in the 1500s—have been rediscovered over the past ten years or so end placed in their proper context by Ole Kongsted, who on behalf of the ensemble took the initiative in 2000 to collaborate with The Royal Library in Copenhagen in establishing the music publishing house Capella Hafniensis Editions. A plan for the publication of a total of 46 booklets with the ensemble’s repertoire has been established; three booklets have appeared so far: 1) Motets by Ludwig Senfl (hitherto
unknown works by the great Renaissance master, Copenhagen 2001); 2)
Johannes Flamingos: Opusculum cantionum (1571) (a unique collection of “Staatsmusik” from the Meckhenburg court in Schwerin, Copenhagen 2002); 3) Bartholomaeus Stockmann:
Lej-lighedsværker (‘Occasional Works”, the musical material for this CD recording, Copenhagen 2004). These booklets and information on future publications are available from
Capella Hafniensis Editions, The Royal Library, PO Box 2149, 1016 Copenhagen K.
Capella Hafniensis has sung this music in a number of concerts in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the Baltic Countries; critical editions and CD recordings of the same material are planned for the coming years. Further information and booking enquiries: Philip Due Jensen, Ellebækvej 60, st, mf., DK-2860 Søborg. Phone: +45 26829143.
