A Medieval Christmas

This week, Donald Macleod marks the beginning of the season of
Advent by exploring Christmas music and stories from the Middle
Ages. Christmas celebrations encompassed a great variety of
colourful traditions and musical occasions during medieval times.
Peasants and nobles alike could look forward to many weeks of
festivities, from Advent at the start of December, right through
to Candlemas on 2nd February. Some of those customs we still
recognise and celebrate today. Many are now lost or significantly
altered. Donald is joined by early music expert, William Lyons,
to examine how Christmas might have felt and sounded to our
medieval ancestors.


Music Featured:


Gaudete Personent hodie; Gaudete; Omnis mundus jucundetur
Perotin: Alleluia Nativitas Miri it is while sumer ilast Blowe,
Northerne Wynd (arr. William Lyons) Seint Nicholas was borne in
the citee of Patras; Cantu mirro, summa laude; Sainte nicholaes;
Salve cleri speculum - Salve iubar presulum Dufay: Ce jour de
l'an Orientis partibus The Play of Daniel (Ludus Danielis) Hec
est Clara dies Procedenti puero Pérotin: Salvatoris hodie Dum
sigillum summi patris [instrumental] Perotin: Viderunt Omnes
Hodie Christus natus est Viderunt Emmanuel Lux hodie, Lux leticie
Psallat chorus; Eximie pater et regie; Aptatur Descendit de cælis
In natali Domini Isaias Cecinit Perotin: Sederunt Principes
Verbum patris umanatur O O Edi beo thu hevene-queene Angelus ad
virginem Ecce quod natura Ther is no rose of swych vertu Verbum
Patris humanatur Verbum Patris (intrumental) Thys endere nyght
Ave Maris Stella Nowell, owt of youre sleep aryse Adam lay
ibowndyn (arr. William Lyons) Ye have so longe kepe schepe
(instrumental) Nowell, nowell, nowell Hayl Mary ful of grace
Coventry Carol Halle: Dieus soit en cheste maison Sequentia
Dufay: Bonjour, bon mois Lantins, A: Ce jour de l’an, belle je
vous supply Dufay: Ce jour de l'an Gresley Dances (arr. William
Lyons)


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC
Audio Wales and West


For full track listings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for A Mediaeval Christmas
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001svqt


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z