A Medieval Christmas

A Medieval Christmas
The Boston Camerata, Joel Cohen
Nonesuch Records H-71315 [LP]
Elektra/Nonesuch 9 71315-2 [CD]
Elektra/Nonesuch N5 71315 [Cassette]

Contents:

    Traditional Jewish Cantillation
  1. Isaiah's prophecy: Kee yeled yoolad lanoo

  2. Spanish, 10th century
  3. The Sybil's prophecy: Iudicii signum

  4. Franco-Provençal drama Sponsus, 12th century
  5. Adest sponsus
  6. Oiet, virgines

  7. French clausula, 13th century
  8. Domino

  9. Hymn, plainchant
  10. Conditor alme siderum

  11. Italian lauda, 15th century
  12. Verbum caro factum est

  13. Old Saxon Gospel reading, 10th century
  14. On frymde waes Word (John 1:1)

  15. French 3-voice organum, 13th century
  16. Iudea et Iherusalem

  17. French conductus, 13th century
  18. Gedeonis area

  19. Reading from Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340-1400)
  20. O moder mayde (The Prioress's Tale)

  21. Plainchant hymn and sacred song, Provençal, 13th-century
  22. Ave maris stella; O Maria deu maire

  23. French prosa, 12th century
  24. Ave Maria

  25. Plainchant responsory
  26. Gaude Maria

  27. German hymn, 14th century
  28. Joseph, liber nefe min

  29. 12th-century Catalan conductus with refrain; 15th-century Dutch hymn; 16th-century German hymn
  30. Congaudet hodie; In dulci iubilo; In dulci iubilo

  31. English reading, 14th century
  32. Handbyhand we shule us take

  33. French conductus, 12th century
  34. Lux hodie; Orientis partibus

Playing time: 23' 05" + 22' 33" = 45' 38"

Performers:
Joel Cohen (director, baritone, lute, oud), Tim Aarset (baritone, recorders, shawms), Mark Baker (baritone), Miriam Charney (alto), John Clark (tenor), Alison Fowle (rebec, viola da gamba), Sallie Gordon (soprano), David Greisinger (tenor), Rufus Hallmark (tenor), Adrienne Hartzell (vielle, harp, bells), Peter Hunsberger (baritone), Nancy Joyce (flutes, recorders, shawm), Barbara Lakeburg (soprano), Laurie Monahan (soprano), Deborah Prince (soprano), Charles Rhodes (countertenor), Kenneth Roth (shawm, organetto, recorders), Peggy Wright (alto), Nicholas Linfield (reader).

Recording site and date: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, [1975 pr prior]

Compilation
Elektra/Nonesuch 79 303-2 [CDx3] With Joyful Voices - Christmas Music of Eight Centuries

Comments:
Information from owned LP (William MacLehose & Pierre-F. Roberge) and CD (Pierre-F. Roberge).

William MacLehose

Some other general Christmas programs from this era and later:

Medieval Christmas
Orlando Consort
Harmonia Mundi USA 907418
A Celebration of Christmas
Carols through the Ages
Deller Consort - Alfred Deller / Musica Antiqua, Vienna - René Clemencic
Omega Vanguard Classics 8050/53 (4 CDs)
Thys Yool - A Medieval Christmas
Martin Best Medieval Ensemble
Nimbus 5137
Gabriel's Greeting
Medieval English Christmas Music
Sinfonye - Stevie Wishart
Hyperion 66685
Ther is no rose
Renaissance Music for the Christmas season
Virelai
Virgin Veritas 45286
In Natali Domini
Sixteenth Century Music from Spain and the Americas
La Colombina - Josep Benet
Accent 96114
Nova Stella
A Medieval Italian Christmas
Altramar Medieval Music Ensemble
Dorian Discovery 80142
Nova - A Medieval Christmas
New York's Ensemble for Early Music - Frederick Renz
Ex Cathedra 9001
Tempus Festorum
Medieval Music for the Nativity Season
Ensemble Anonymus - Claude Bernatchez
Analekta 23106
Creator of the Stars
Christmas Music from Earlier Times
Pomerium - Alexander Blachly
Deutsche Grammophon Archiv 449 819
A Star in the East
Medieval Hungarian Christmas Music
Anonymous 4
Harmonia Mundi USA 907139
Legends of Nicholas
Medieval Chant and Polyphony
Anonymous 4
Harmonia Mundi USA 907232
Christmas Carols and Motets
The Tallis Scholars - Peter Phillips
Gimell 454 910
Cantiones Natalitiae
Christmas Songs from the Time of Rubens
Capella Trajectina
Globe 6033
Natus est
A Christmas Celebration
New Orleans Musica da Camera
Centaur Records 2208
Alleluia Nativitas
Music and Carols for a Medieval Christmas
Orlando Consort
Metronome 1001
In Natali Domini
Mediaeval Christmas Songs
Niederaltaicher Scholaren - Konrad Ruhland
Sony Vivarte 45946
La Nuit de Noël
Schola Hungarica - László Dobszay & Janka Szendrei
Harmonia Mundi Quintana 903037
Mediæval Carols
The Mystery of Christmas Night - Words and Music from the Middle Ages
Opus Anglicanum
Herald 212
Christmas Carols & Hymns of the XVth Century
Pro Cantione Antiqua - Bruno Turner
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi "Editio Classica" 77466
A Medieval Christmas
Pro Cantione Antiqua & Medieval Wind Ensemble
Innovative Music Productions-PCD 844
The Christmas Story
The Waverly Consort - Michael Jaffee
Columbia "Masterworks" 37 751 (LP)
In dulci jubilo
Alte Chormusik zur Weihnachtszeit
Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg - Jürgen Jürgens
Telefunken AWT 9419 (LP)
O Magnum Mysterium
Christmas Motets from Renaissance Europe
Fortuna - Patricia Petersen
Titanic 211
Frofro
Musique de Noël du Xe au XVe siècle
Ioculatores
Raum Klang 9503
Wayting for Christmas
The Troubadours - David Marshall
Riverrun 69
Es kumpt ain schiff geladen
Historische Weinachtsmusik gespielt auf
alten instrumenten und a capella vorgetragen
Wildwuchs
Verlag der Spielleute 6966
Medieval Christmas Chants
Vox Silentii
Proprius 2038

There are a very large number of Christmas programs, and we not really gathered them together in that sense. In many cases, where they are devoted more specifically to an individual area of the repertory they will be listed there, although the more general programs are given above. In the future, perhaps a more complete Christmas listing will be created.

Also, see the Joel Cohen Discography page.

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Todd M. McComb