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The Album: Orlando Consort - Beneath the Northern Star.

The early English polyphony may not be as well known as its Franco-Flemish and Italian counterparts, but there is a lot to treasure here. Often there is a very obvious musical dialogue going on with the continent and musical influences are travelling back and forth across the English channel, but there are also stylistic elements that are unique for the British isles.

Beneath the Northern Star is chronologically organised and it ends with a few selections from the most substantial source of early British polyphony: The Old Hall Manuscript. Here we find contributions from two of the most famous English composers of the era, John Dunstaple and Leonel Power. Power is his usual showy self, especially in the extremly chromatic Credo, while Dunstaple creates isorhythmic motets that can compete in skill and sophistication with anything that was composed on the continent. The recording also contains a excellent interpretation of one of the most famous anonymous pieces from the Old Hall Manuscript, the intricate isorhythmic Credo (track 16).

Impressive as these pieces may be, for many the most interesting music on this album will be the earlier tracks. Here we find more obscure and rare repertoire, some pieces have never been recorded before to my knowledge. There are a few examples of the rondellus technique typical for English music at this time. It can be used to hypnothic effect, as in the brief anonymous motet Stella maris nuncuparis. There are also examples of pieces that are still influenced by older traditions, Ave mundi rosa is the most obvious example and sounds almost archaic in this context, which shows that style developed at different paces.

Orlando Consort has been around for almost 30 years and is one of the most famous vocal ensembles around. They have managed to change members a few times, something that is usually difficult for these kind of vocal ensembles where it is absolutely essential that you’re not only extremely tight musically, but also that vocal timbres match. Beneath the Northern Star is up to Orlando Consorts usual high standards. Technically it’s immaculate and the level of detail is impressive. There are a few times in the more celebratory pieces where I think they get a little sloppy, but that’s probably intentional. Strongly recommended.