In 12th and 13th century England, music was not only used for the glory of God, but also to lend strength to political ambitions. Gothic Voices reveals how crusading zeal and religious self-aggrandizement seeped into the organum, conductus and early motet. This early polyphony hints at the self-awareness of a nation that concealed its agenda in devotion. The soundscape moves from hesitant submission to profound faith and convictions of righteousness, and then to pure triumph. In subdued prayers, despairing laments and exuberant songs of jubilation, the refined voices of the acclaimed vocal collective reveal a world where everything appears to be devout but nothing is sacred.