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| REVIEW | A little holy night's music
'On Yoolis Night' is a collection of motets, carols, hymns, antiphons and a few other pieces in honour of the nativity - this is a medieval Christmas album. During the Middle Ages, when Europe was swept with adoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, many of the songs around Christmas would be as much around her character as with Jesus. These works deal with the various legends, biblical and extra-canonical, as well as the traditional stories of Christmastide, primarily taken from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries. However, the earliest piece dates from the fifth century (A solis ortus cardine) to the polyphony of the fifteenth century, which means that this disc in fact contains a thousand years of history. Also included are a few anticipatory pieces from Advent, such as the Vox clara chant (the voice of him crying in the wilderness...).
These are beautiful pieces, stunning in performance and quite remarkable - compared to modern Christmas carols, these are pieces with depth and richness, certainly devoid of much of the mercantile and later accretions that have overlaid holiday seasons in the Western world.
This is definitely a holiday album with a difference.
-- Liner Notes --
This text accompaniment to this disc is very full, so much so that the booklet is not contained within the jewel case, but rather within a slipcover in which both the CD/jewel case and the booklet reside. The liner notes include a description of the work, a brief piece about the quartet, and the lyrics of the songs both in original language and in translation - all repeated in English, German, and French sections.
-- Anonymous 4 --
Contrary to the implication of their name, the Anonymous 4 are not anonymous. This is a vocal quartet made up of Ruth Cunningham, Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, and Johanna Rose at the time of this recording (Ruth Cunningham will later go on to a solo career early, and another member will join - Jacqueline Horner). They came together as a formal group in 1986, and have been ensemble-in-residence at St. Michael's Church in New York City, giving concert series in New York as well as throughout North America. They have been featured a number of times on national media in North America as well as Germany. They then went on to yet more success, eventually performing more that 1000 concerts worldwide.
Their specialty is working with chant, monophonic and polyphonic music, and working with medieval texts. According to one source, 'The group takes its name from an anonymous music theorist of the late 13th century, Anonymous IV, who is the principal source on the two famous composers of the Notre Dame school, Léonin and Pérotin.'
The group ended a touring career of nearly two decades in 2004.
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Find the lowest prices for On Yoolis Night - Medieval carols & motets. |
| REVIEW | Perfectly lovely - wrong, but still perfectly lovely.
For those of you who - like me - have had a couple experiences with Gregorian Chant that moved you deeply - and now you need some Gregorian Chant for those moods when nothing else is right - this is it. "A Mass For The End Of Time" is beautiful, and rich, and the selections intense and moving. This is exactly what most people reading this are looking for. Furthermore the performers seem to have captured the spirit of the music - which is critical because this is spiritual music. So why do I give it 4 stars? Gregorian Chant is not music that can be removed from its place and time well. It is site specific - it should be heard live in a cathedral whose walls are stone or at least in a place that reflects sound - setting up resonance inside the head. Gregorian Chant is a form of meditation that is distinctly medieval European. The group that performs "A Mass For The End Of Time" is 4 women called Anonymous. But Gregorian Chant was written for men - it has different feel when men do it. Anonymous is very good - but the music would work even better with 4 equally good male voices. |
Find the lowest prices for 1000: A Mass for the End of Time - Medieval Chant and Polyphony for the Ascension. |
| REVIEW | Goose Flesh!
This is a remarkable quartet, singing with purity and style, from the haunting to the merry, medieval chant to modern settings of Celtic religious texts. Where there are arrangements, they are lovely and the instrumental pieces are simple and beautiful. This is the first time I have heard this group of women, and I am enchanted. It's a cappella at its very best: look to your laurels, King's Singers and Chanticleer, here come the ladies! |
Find the lowest prices for Wolcum Yule - Celtic and British Songs & Carols. |
| REVIEW | Can't walk away from it!
My only "complaint" about the CD is that I absolutely HAVE to sit and listen to the entire thing whenever I start it up! I usually have music playing in the background while doing other things, but not this one! There are no tracks that I find myself wanting to skip over as in most collections. In fact, I usually find myself going back and listening to selected tracks again (and again and...) after taking the hour+ to listen to the whole thing through once.
These four ladies produce a unique andremarkable sound. I can't recommend it enough. |
Find the lowest prices for American Angels - Songs of Hope, Redemption, & Glory. |
| REVIEW | Angelic Purity
It seems pointless to add another 5-star review to the list, but I have to. This CD is simply one of the most beautiful recordings ever made, and it touches your soul with every listening. If you are content, it will bolster and reinforce your tranquil mind. If you are sad or depressed, it will force tears from your eyes and rip sobs from your breast, setting you on the healing path. If you are happy, it will make you prance about your flat like a gleeful child.
It is wonderful as background music, and yet engaging enough for attentive listening. If you don't own this CD, you should buy it today. |
Find the lowest prices for An English Ladymass. |
| REVIEW | Doesn't sound like Chirstmas
I purchased this in a effort to expand my Christmas collection. I had great hopes for this album because of its title. I am not rating it mediocre for the recording or preformance. The women's voices are beautiful, the chants are lovely. My problem is that there was nothing to distinguish to the untrained ear that these chants were focused on Christmans. Though I read a bit of latin, I couldn't follow the words well enough when they were sung to feel this was "Christmas" music. For a lover of Latin chants, this would be a terrific album. But for an amateur, this is rather unaccesible. |
Find the lowest prices for Christmas Music from Medieval Hungary. |
| REVIEW | Great!!!
Amazing is the word for this record more than Gloryland. I have been touched by the lyrics and the voices. Coming from a different cultural background allows to understand very well the root information valid for everyone in the songs, hymns, etc they have selected for this record.
I will wait for the next record! |
Find the lowest prices for Gloryland. |
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