Legends of St Nicholas - Medieval Chant and Polyphony

"Since St. Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop at Myra in Asia Minor, he was first venerated in the East. Myra was a seaport, so he was revered by sailors. When the Turks overran Asia Minor in the 11th century, a band of sailors from Bari in southern Italy brought his relics to their cathedral. His cult spread rapidly in the West after that, particularly among seafarers in the Netherlands, Normandy and coastal Germany.

"The more familiar cult is based on his generosity in giving away his inherited wealth. One legend in particular concerns dowries that he provided for three needy sisters. This led to his connection with Christmas gifts, a tradition still kept in the Netherlands in the image of a saintly bishop. In America he has become the elf Santa Claus.

"Previous recordings celebrating the saint gave us some of the four plays in the Fleury Playbook, but this time we have chant, polyphony and an early English song devoted to his honor. Some of these pieces have been included in the earlier Playbook recordings. The chants include responsories and hymns from the Office of Matins, the greatest of these being Ex ejus tumba with its prosula Sospitati. The polyphonic pieces include conductus and motets spanning several centuries.

"Anyone who has heard the earlier discs by Anonymous 4 will recognise the type of varied and balanced program that the group does so well. This is an especially fine assortment of music in honor of St. Nicholas, ravishing in enunciation, intonation and tempo. The booklet has a generous number of color reproductions from medieval sources, and the notes are helpful. A wonderful recording!" JEROME F. WEBER, GoldbergWeb.com