Noel - Carols & Chants for Christmas (4 CD Set) [2005]

CD1 Legends of St. Nicholas: Medieval European Chant and Polyphony

1. Hymn: Intonent hodie
2. Conductus: Exultemus et letemur
3. Conductus: Gaudens in Domino
4. Reading: Seint Nicholas was borne in the citee of Patras
5. Responsory: Confessor dei nicholaus
6. Conductus: Cantu mirro, summa laude
7. Song: Sainte nicholaes
8. Reading: Whanne the bisshop of the citee of Myre deied
9. Conductus: Nicholai presulis
10. Hymn: Cum quidam fluctuantia
11. Conductus: Novus presul prodiit
12. Song: Sainte nicholaes
13. Reading: All the province of Seint Nicholas suffered gret peyne for hunger
14. Hymn: Plaudat letitia
15. Motet: Salve cleri speculum / Save iubar presulum / [Sospitati] / [Sospitati]
16. Song: Sainte nicholaes							play
17. Reading: A worschipfull man hadde thre doughtres virgines
18. Conductus: Fulget nicolaus
19. Responsory: Ex eius tumba / Prosa: Sospitati dedit egros
20. Conductus: Gaudens in domino
21. Reading: And whanne our Lorde lust to take Seint Nicholas oute of this worlde
22. Motet: Psallat chorus / Eximie pater / [Aptatur]
23. Conductus: Nicholae presulum
24. Conductus: Nicholae pontifex

CD2 Wolcum Yule: Celtic and British Songs and Carols

Trad., England
1. Awake and join the cheerful choir
Trad., Ireland
2. 'Good people all this Christmastide'
3. The seven rejoices of Mary
John Tavener
4. The Lamb
Anon., 17th c.
5. A Scots Lilt
Trad., Scotland
6. Bulalow
Richard Rodney Bennett
7. Bullalow										play
Trad., England
8. The holly and the ivy
Trad., Scotland
9. The Reel of Tullochgorum
Trad., England
10. I saw three ships come sailing by
Peter Maxwell Davies
11. A Calendar of Kings
Trad., Ireland
12. Air: La fuar geimhreadh (On a cold winter's day)
13. An teicheadh go hEigipt (Flight into Egypt)
Geoffrey Burgon
14. A God, and yet a man ?
Henry VIII
15. Grene growith the holy
Trad., Welch
16. Wel, dyma'r borau gorau (Behold, here is the best morning)
Trad., England
17. The Cherry Tree Carol
Trad., Cornish
18. Can wassel (Wassail Song)
Benjamin Britten
19. A New Year Carol

CD3 On Yoolis Night: Medieval Carols and Motets

1. Antiphon: Hodie Christus natus est (chant)
2. Motet: O nobilis nativitas - O mira Dei - O decus virgineum - Apparuit
3. Antiphon: Lux de luce (chant)
4. Carol: Alleluya: A nywe werke
5. Hymn: Verbum supernum prodiens (chant)
6. Motet: Balaam de quo vaticinans - [Ballam]
7. Carol: Ave Maria
8. Song: Gabriel, fram heven-king
9. Carol: Lullay: I saw a swete semly syght
10. Motet: Prolis eterne genitor - Psallat mater gracie - [Pes]
11. Hymn: Vox clara, ecce, intonat (chant)
12. Rondellus: De supernis sedibus
13. Antiphon: Omnes de Saba (chant)									play
14. Motet: Puellare gremium - Purissima mater - [Pes]
15. Carol: Lullay, lullay: Als I lay on Yoolis night
16. Responsory: Tria sunt munera (chant)
17. Motet: Orto sole serene - Origo viri - Virga Iesse - [Tenor]
18. Song: Peperit virgo
19. Carol: Ecce quod natura
20. Hymn: A solis ortus cardine (chant)
21. Carol: Ther is no rose of swych vertu
22. Antiphon: Videntes stellam (chant)
23. Carol: Nowel: Owt of your slepe aryse

CD4 A Star in the East: Medieval Hungarian Christmas Music

1. Antiphon: Ave spes nostra
2. Song: Mi Atyank Atya Isten
3. Alleluia: Veni Domine
4. Antiphon: O mundi Domina											play
5. Alleluia: Fuit virgo
6. Hymn: Vox clara, ecce, intonat
7. Sanctus: Omnes unanimiter
8. Introit: Dum medium silentium
9. Lectio: Primo tempore alleviata
10. Gradual: Speciosus forma
11. Song: Noveum decus oritur
12. Offertory: Letentur celi
13. Lectio: Salvator noster
14. Hymn: Az idvozitot regenten
15. Song Novus annus adiit
16. Communion: Exulta filia Syon
17. Evangelium: Liber generationis
18. Antiphon: Gaude et letare
19. Motet: Exordium quadruplate / Nate Dei / Concrepet infanti / Verbum caro
20. Te Deum: Isten, reged

Performer:  Anonymous 4

I will just reiterate that this is a compilation of 4 existing CDs- Legends of St. Nicholas, Wolcum Yule, On Yoolis Night, and A Star in the East. If you don't own any of them, or even if you just own one of them, I would strongly suggest buying this set, since you'll save a lot of money from buying each disc individually.

Anonymous 4 performs all the music flawlessly. If you're looking for Christmas music that lifts up the spirit, you can't do much better than these recordings. Legends of St. Nicholas is an interesting and beautiful collection of chants devoted to the historical figure Nicholas of Myra (who became Santa Clause in our culture); Wolcum Yule is focused on Christmas songs from the British isles, some of them familiar and some not- after listening to Britten's "New Year Carol" on the "Wolcum Yule" CD, I wish people would replace Auld Lang Syne with that on New Year's celebrations; "On Yoolis Night" focuses on Christmas music from the Medieval period and is a must-listen for any early music lover; "A Star in the East" is a sublime and haunting collection of music from medieval Hungary- you won't find music like this anywhere else. What can I say? Highly recommended- this is perfect music to listen to this holiday season, and particularly when you're at home on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. --- Jay Young (Austin, TX USA)

Anonymous 4 is a female a cappella quartet, based in New York City. Their main performance genre is medieval music, although they have also premiered works by living composers such as John Tavener and Steve Reich.

Anonymous 4 has performed in cities throughout North America, and have been regulars at major international festivals. They decided to make the 2003-2004 season their last as a full-time recording and touring ensemble, although special projects (such as their Gloryland CD and their “Long Time Traveling” Tour) continue to bring them together on occasion.

The name of the group is a pun on the name of an anonymous English music theorist of the late 13th century, Anonymous IV, who is the principal source on the two famous composers of the Notre Dame school, Leonin and Perotin. ---last.fm

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