The Codex Calixtinus, a document housed at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, includes an odd assortment of writings relating to St. James the Greater -- sermons, lessons, miracle stories, guides to medieval pilgrimage routes, grammatical exercises for schools boys, and a wealth of chant, as well as some of the earliest examples of two- and three-part vocal polyphony. On this 1995 recording, Anonymous 4, the a cappella women's quartet, sings 21 intriguingly diverse selections from the collection, ranging from simple ...
Read More
The Codex Calixtinus, a document housed at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, includes an odd assortment of writings relating to St. James the Greater -- sermons, lessons, miracle stories, guides to medieval pilgrimage routes, grammatical exercises for schools boys, and a wealth of chant, as well as some of the earliest examples of two- and three-part vocal polyphony. On this 1995 recording, Anonymous 4, the a cappella women's quartet, sings 21 intriguingly diverse selections from the collection, ranging from simple monophonic chant to astonishingly dissonant polyphony. The textural variety is one of the album's greatest charms; even within the same piece, the texture can beguilingly shift from one to three voices (since many of the chants and two-voice pieces use drones). The two-part responsory "Portum in ultimo," sung over a drone, is particularly haunting. Other pieces are so melodically eccentric and memorable that they should dispel any stereotypes about medieval music being boring and...
Read Less
