Formosa Mea (My Beauty)

“Formosa mea” (My Beauty), an expression taken from Song of Solomon, recurs as a theme in a number of the songs on Tone Wik’s new album. The sensual texts are an homage to the Virgin Mary. Her chaste, unattainable beauty is the focus of adoration, lending a quality of innocence to the erotic content of the texts.

The music is from a period when the church was in the process of accepting the musical influence of street music and folk theatre, which changed the style of church music. “Formosa mea” features two seldom-performed Christmas cantatas, written by the female composer Franscesca Caccini and her colleague, Bonifatio Gratiani.

Soprano Tone Wik has specialized for years in music of the Baroque period. She is in frequent demand as soloist and performs regularly with early music musicians and ensembles. On this album she appears with a collection of distinguished performers: Vegard Lund (lute), Karolina Radziej (baroque violin), Johan Nicolai Mohn (recorder) and Christian Kjos (organ).