Cappella Pratensis

Cappella Pratensis is a Dutch vocal ensemble from 's-Hertogenbosch with international renown, performing all over the world. Founded in 1987, the cappella takes its name from the great polyphonist and composer Josquin des Prez (Pratensis = des Prés) (1450-1521). Cappella Pratensis specializes in music from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries, especially the music of Josquin and other Franco-Flemish polyphonists of that period.

Cappella Pratensis is specialized in the music of Josquin des Préz and many other polyphonists of the 15th and 16th centuries. In its concerts, the Cappella takes historical performance practice as its starting point and assembles its own programs with original interpretations. It does so on the basis of scholarly source research and its own artistic principles.
From 1987 onward, the ensemble developed its own approach under Ludy Vrijdag and Rebecca Stewart. Most striking in its performances was the slow tempo and a undulating dynamic. The background to this performance practice was formed by attention to the language, the acoustics, and the tension between tones (for example, that between the fundamental and the fifth, or the minor third). In addition, Stewart held outspoken views on vocal use in the Renaissance. After her departure in 2002, her approach was gradually abandoned.