In the 16th century, composers from the Low Countries preferred to write on French and Italian texts. The Antwerp publisher Tylman Susato was a thorn in the side of this trend. In his "Irish musyck book" he called on his fellow countrymen to make use of their own language. According to musicologist Louis Peter Grijp, Susato's idealistic appeal was probably not widely followed, as none of Susato's
… editions have been reprinted. Nevertheless, a similar collection appeared in Maastricht in 1554: the so-called Maastricht songbook with the title "Niewe duytsche liedekens". This collection, published by Jacob Baethen, contained polyphonic songs by Ludovicus Episcopius, Clemens non Papa and others. This songbook has never become so famous, because of the partbooks the book with the soprano part has been lost. On the CD that Camerata Trajectina has dedicated to this Maastricht songbook, the lost parts have been reconstructed by Louis Peter Grijp and Nico van der Meel. For this occasion, Camerata Trajectina consisted of soprano Suze van Grootel, countertenor Sutse Buwalda, tenor Nico van der Meel, bass Marcel Moester and musicologist and lute player Louis Peter Grijp. (HJ) _more