Album insights
During the festive season of Christmas, a variety of themes and visual representations were celebrated, birthing the most enchanting music of medieval England. The celebration included joyful greetings to Mary, the Angel Gabriel, and the more intimate songs of the Nativity scene. The cult of Mary held as much significance as the courtly "domna" of the troubadours, with English songwriters placing her above figures like the Christ child during Christmas. One of the most detailed historical songs honoring Mary belongs to a group of songs celebrated at Winchester College during Christmas festivities, where scholars and fellows spent the evening with songs, poems, royal chronicles, and wonders of the world. "Lolay, lolay" is a unique monophonic song in the collection, a lengthy lullaby capturing a conversation between a young mother and her son, revealing the mysteries of the Christmas story.
Among the well-known songs referencing the Christmas narrative was likely the hymn "Angelus ad virginem" and its English version "Gabriel fram evene king." There are at least five versions in monophonic and polyphonic forms of this song, with its popularity even landing it a mention in Chaucer's famous Canterbury Tales.
The majority of Christmas lyrics from this era are closely linked to the Christian church, drawing melodies that may have originated from secular customs. The church seemingly integrated pagan traditions, resulting in hybrids like spiritual dance songs. These Latin rondels often incorporated religious themes like hymns for Mary and the Christ child, merging with the Anglo-Norman carol tradition. The commentator Durandus described how deacons in Normandy gathered to sing and dance antiphons on the eve of St. Stephen's feast. Illustrations of dance songs often depicted dancers in a round or line, sometimes accompanied by instruments like a fiddle or frame drum in secular settings.
The English secular music corpus, though small, featured distinctive melodic and harmonic identities. The melodies, emphasizing the drone pipe and including clear harmonies, evolved with characteristics like the great third in English carols by the 15th century. The poet in "Ther is no rose" likens Mary to a rose, a prevalent theme in English religious poetry of the time.
By the 15th century, the carol had taken on its modern form, with verses connected by a recurring refrain. Melodic notation in these carols was often found only in the introduction, sometimes leaving the exact melody distribution for each lyric ambiguous. "Nowell, nowell, nowell!" from a manuscript dated in the latter half of the 15th century poses a challenge for singers with its complex text set to a relatively simple melody. This carol is followed, amusingly, by a drinking song meant to be sung to the same tune as the previous carol.
The evolution and significance of English medieval music showcase a rich blend of traditions, melodies, and religious themes, offering a glimpse into the musical tapestry of the past.