NOEL, NOEL
Medieval French Music for the Season
Program
| Flor de lis/Douce dame/Proh dolor | Notre Dame, Paris, (13th century) |
| Ave maris stella | St. Venantius Fortunatus?, (8th century) |
| In hoc anni circulo | Aquitanian, (12th century) |
| A sea of stars, prima pars (instrumental) | Margriet Tindemans |
| Versus Sancte Marie | Aquitanian, (12th century) |
| Beata viscera | Perotin, (13th century) |
| Ex semine motet | Perotin |
| Beata viscera/ L'estat du monde | Notre Dame, Paris, (13th century) |
| Alleluya ñ Nativitas | Leonin, (12th century) |
| Organum: Alleluya, Nativitas | Perotin |
| A sea of stars, secunda pars | Margriet Tindemans |
| Resonemus hoc natali | Aquitanian, (12th century) |
| Entendez tuit ensemble | Gautier de Coincy (1177 – 1236) |
| Ma viele vieler veut un biau son (instrumental) | Gautier de Coincy |
| Psallat chorus | Notre Dame, Paris, (13th century) |
| Rondelli (dance songs) Gaudeat Ecclesia Nicholaus inclitus Nicholae, presulum Nicholaus pontifex |
|
| Ils Ètaient trois petits enfants | French traditional |
| Noel nouvelet | French traditional, (15th century) |
Notes
From one great cathedral to another - medieval music that enriched Christmas celebrations at the magnificent cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, now heard in Seattle's beloved Saint James. Notre Dame, for which the cornerstone was laid in 1163, is known as the birthplace of Western polyphony, a sumptuous new sound introduced by French composers Leonin and Perotin. As the great cathedral of Notre Dame was built, Paris became a centre of learning. The newly founded University of Paris attracted scholars and students from all over Europe. They embraced the novel new compositions, with virtuosic solo parts soaring over the chant melodies of old. Magister Leo, better known by the diminutive form of his name, Leoninus, was the composer responsible for the first manuscript of Parisian polyphony, the Magnus Liber, or the "Great Book". One of the chants which he used and embellished is Alleluya, Nativitas. Leonin's successor was Perotin, who is said to have edited and added to the Magnus Liber. He used the Alleluya, Nativitas chant for an exciting three-part composition, which you will hear tonight as the centre piece of our performance. Perotin later used part of the Alleluya again, the Ex semine part, now with added texts in the two top parts.
Perotin also wrote in the more common style used for cantus, or song: for Beata viscera he uses the melody of the famous 8th century hymn Ave maris stella . Perotin was not the only one being inspired by this hymn, possibly composed by St. Venantius Fortunatus. Throughout the evening you will hear the melody pop up: in Versus Sancte Marie, one of the songs in the language of southern France, the langue d'oc; in Entendez tuit ensemble, a song in the language of northern France; in the traditional song Noel nouvelet, first found in the 15th century, but still popular today; and in A sea of stars, which I wrote for two instruments, which Bill and I will perform in two parts. Entendez tuit ensemble was composed by Gautier de Coincy as part of his 'Miracles de Notre Dame'. I could not resist adding to this program another song in this collection: Ma viele vieler veut un biau son, roughly translated as "My fiddle wants to play a beautiful song!"
Clever 'new' music wasnít the only music heard in and near the cathedral: dancing was not uncommon in the church, as we know from edicts from bishops determining how high priests were allowed to leap while dancing! From the Notre Dame in Paris come these charming dance songs in Latin, dedicated to St. Nicholas.
In hoc anni circulo and Versus Sancte Marie might have been sung by one of the troubadours from the south, who were highly regarded and welcomed in 13th century Paris. One tells the story of the annunciation and the birth of Christ (alternating strophes in Latin and in Occitan), the other lauds the Virgin Mary.
The cathedral square would also have been alive with dancers and carolers singing popular songs of the season, such as Ils étaient trois petits enfants (which tells the story of St. Nicholas saving three little children who were killed by a butcher) and the foot-tapping Noel nouvelet.
~Margriet Tindemans