Congaudeant Catholici
[(f. 185) Codex Calixtinus. Archivo-Biblioteca de la Catedral, Santiago de Compostela, Spain]
Congaudeant catholici, letentur cives celici, die ista / Clerus pulcris carminibus studeat atque cantibus, die ista / Hec est dies laudabilis, divina luce nobilis, die ista / Qua Iacobus palacia ascendit ad celestia, die ista / Vincens Herodis gladium accepit vite bravium, die ista / Ergo carenti termino Benedicamus Domino, die ista / Magno patri familias solvamus laudis gracias, die ista. //
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Vox Iberica I - Donnersöhne / Sons Of Thunder.
Sequentia
(1992, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi – RD 77 199)
Early in life Laura Cannell was drawn to medieval music, and motifs from British folk traditions and early music are worked into her contemporary approach to violin. often fitting a bow over the neck of her instrument, which then draws across multiple strings, the drone and polyphony of her technique makes haunting styles even more poignant. Cannell’s forthcoming collaboration with fellow violinist André Boseman, Reckonings, presents the duo exploring distortion and improvisation while recording in the natural reverb of a stone church.
Colin Stetson – “Spindrift”
I love the texture and magic he can create with this one instrument, and body. I remember the first time I heard people talking about Colin Stetson, we were in Norwich, it was a sound engineer friend who was telling me that he used something like 20 mics to bring out every detail, and ever since I have been fairly obsessed. It was great to play on the bill with him a couple of years back at London’s Convergence Festival.
E.E.K. Feat Islam Chipsy
This video is of the best live gig I’ve seen in years, the power of two drum kits and keyboard is incredible. Islam Chipsy’s electro-Shaabi is totally infectious. Energy and power and party is what this makes think and feel. I love the rhythms, note bending and no bullshit of this music. Taking Egyptian street music and making it epic.
Tempvs Fvgit
The first time I heard Corsican Polyphonic singing was when I was on a the bill at Urban Rituals in Brussels with this group. I just love it. Very elaborately ornamented and totally acappella. It’s really fiesty and raw live.
Hoofus – Original Soundtrack to The Edgelands
The Edgelands OST by Hoofus
http://hoofus.bandcamp.com/album/the-edgelands-ost This music is totally stand alone and atmospheric with or without the game, it’s really woozy and very evocative of sparse flatlands, woods and uses a palette which conjures up broken machines and oscillations. It’s weird and beautiful.
Alasdair Roberts, Amble Skuse, David McGuinnes – What News
“The Fair Flower of Northumberland”
I’ve recently been listening to this album on repeat, partly what I like it the simple piano style coming from David McGuinness, taking just the tune or a small fragment of the tune. He’s a harpsichordist and I think he marries up some of the early music harmony with this ancient song. The piano doesn’t make it contemporary music, but doesn’t make it ‘folk’ either. I like the minimal electronics and the ghostlike vocals which come in on some of the choruses. I love that the performance is minimal and a repetitive ballad yet the vocal inflections make it seem different each time.
Sequentia – Edda
Ed. note: We've embedded two video links, as neither appears to be accressible worldwide.
Medieval Icelandic Music. Sequentia have had an epic output of medieval music, including Icelandic, French and masses of Hildegard von Bingen. Their interpretations are edgier and more brittle that a lot of early music. It’s guttural and visceral. I love the close dissonant harmonies, I could listen to it forever but it puts me into another world so sometimes I have to come back.
Laurie Speigel – The Expanding Universe
I just love this album. 1970’s computer music from a composer and computer music pioneer. It’s totally magical. Her deepest influences are Bach and Traditional American Music. I love the early, traditional and contemporary influences throughout The Expanding Universe, even though that’s not what you’re hearing explicitly, I think that the connections are all there. It has roots but is not tied down.
Hildegard von Bingen / Sequentia – The Canticles of Ecstasy
Some of the first properly medieval music I heard, my uncle lent me this CD when I was about 18, I didn’t think too much about it then, but listened to it a lot and now Hildegard von Bingen’s music has a major influence on my music. Sequentia are some of the best performers of the music in a formal-ish setting, though they still get it away from twee and into a land of drone and passion.
