musica Dei donum
CD reviews
"Saints inouïs - Chants sacrés perdus et retrouvés du XIIe siècle" (Astonishing saints - Lost and found sacred chants of the 12th century)
Ensemble Scholastica
Dir: Rebecca Bain, Pascale Duhamel
rec: August 2019, Mirabel (Québec), Église Saint-Augustin
ATMA - ACD2 2804 (© 2020) (70'54")
Liner-notes: E/F; lyrics - translations: E/F
Cover, track-list & booklet
Spotify
[in order of appearance]
[Feast of the Conception of the Virgin]
Salve virginale, Vespers responsory;
Alma virginis Marie, Magnificat antiphon - Magnificat;
Priusquam in utero, Matins responsory;
Egredietur virga, Matins antiphon - Confitebor tibi;
Iesse virga celi scala, Matins responsory;
Beatus venter, Matins responsory
[Office for St Pardulf]
[First reading from the Life of St Pardulf];
Regem humilium, invitatory - Venite, exultemus;
[organ improvisation on Regem humilium];
Pardulphus largus, Matins responsory;
Ut quoque te miris, Lauds antiphon - Beatus vir;
Cossessas ut opes, Marins responsory;
[Second reading from the Life of St Pardulf];
Arnulphus sprevit, Matins antiphon - Dixit insipiens;
[organ improvisation on Arnulphus sprevit]
[Office for St Yrieix]
In fide recta, Matins antiphon - Cum invocarem;
Catolica religione, Matins responsory;
Traditui a parentibus, Matins antiphon - Verba mea;
[organ improvisation on Traditui a parentibus]
Élodie Bouchard, Luce Chamberland, Elizabeth Ekholm, Jody Freeman, Cynthia Gates, Carole LeDez, voice;
Pascale Duhamel, voice, readings;
Rebecca Bain, voice, fiddle;
Angèle Trudeau, voice, symphonia;
Catherine Herrmann, organetto
The Christian faith took a central place in everyday life in Europe until well into the 18th century. The large repertoire of sacred music written by famous and less famous composers attests to that. However, the core of worship was liturgical music that was largely anonymous, written by people who did not bother to claim authorship, as this was not considered important, given the purpose with which it was written: to glorify God or the Virgin Mary, or to remember a particular saint or martyr. The latter were often remembered on a special day. One of the features of the Christian church - and since the Reformation the Catholic church - was the variety of liturgical chants. Saints and martyrs were not venerated everywhere, and some feastdays were only celebrated in one part of Europe. The disc by the Ensemble Scholastica offers examples of this variety.
It brings us to the department of Creuse in France, in the middle between Lyon and Nantes. This recording is based on research by Sylvain Margot and Pascale Duhamel, who discovered fragments of liturgical chants in the department archives of Creuse, and a manuscript in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. The latter includes a complete feast day service for a local saint. The programme is divided into three sections, devoted to two saints - Saint Pardoux and Saint Yrieix - and the Virgin Mary respectively. In the latter case, the feast is that of the Conception of the Virgin.
Saint Pardulphus (Pardulf, Pardoux) (657 - c737) was a Frankish saint and Benedictine abbot. He was known for miraculous healings. He joined the monastery of Lantarius, the count of Limoges, later serving as its abbot. Saint Aredius (c510-591), also known as Yrieix, was Abbot of Limoges and chancellor to Theudebert I, King of Austrasia in the 6th century. He founded the monastery of Attanum, and the various French communes called St. Yrieix are named after him. Many abbeys in this region celebrated the feast of St. Yrieix on August 25 and that of St. Pardoux on October 6.
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, also called Immaculate Conception Day, celebrates the sinless lifespan and Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, celebrated on December 8, nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Mary, celebrated on September 8. It is one of the most important Marian feasts in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church celebrated worldwide. Unlike other Marian feasts, it was not imposed by Rome, but grew out of local religious practices. It has its origins in the 12th century, but it was only in 1439 that the feast received Papal approval. Bernard of Clairvaux is known to have denounced it.
Each section of the programme comprises responsories, antiphons and psalms. One of the virtues of this recording is that the antiphons are performed in connection with the chant (Magnificat) or the psalm to which they belong. We first hear the antiphon, then the Magnificat or psalm, and then the repeat of the antiphon, according to the liturgical rules. The texts in the sections of the programme devoted to the two above-mentioned saints, specifically refer to them. One example is the Matins responsory Pardulphus largus: "Generous to the destitute, parsimonious only towards himself, Pardulf would often offer all his clothes to the poor, until he himself was naked". Another example is the Matins antiphon of Psalm 4, In fide recta: "Aredius was raised in righteous faith and the Catholic religion. He was kind to all, burning with a desire to please Him who reigns in heaven".
The booklet includes much information about the historical and liturgical background of the programme. Unfortunately, issues regarding performance practice are not discussed. There are several things I would like to know more about. In several pieces, the singers are supported by an instrument (fiddle or symphonia). I wonder whether there is any information about the way the chants included here were performed at the time. In some pieces the performers have added one or even two parts. Again, was this common at the time? The third issue is the pronunciation: the singers use the common Italian pronunciation, but was it not French practice to follow its own rules?
Whatever are the answers to those questions, this is a very interesting recording. A large part of medieval liturgical music has been lost, and that makes it all the more important to perform and record what has been preserved. A recording like this one is also important in that it offers more insight into the variety of liturgical practices during the Middle Ages. The Ensemble Scholastica specializes in ancient liturgical music, and especially plainchant, and that shows. The singing is outstanding, and the way the music is performed breathes the atmosphere of a convent. For anyone interested in liturgical music, this is a disc to investigate.
Johan van Veen (© 2022)
Relevant links:
Ensemble Scholastica