Music That Launched The Cathedral

Very early music on a cd by The Harp Consort directed by Andrew Lawrence-King. Titled The Miracles of Notre Dame, the music of Gautier de Coincy ( 1177 - 1236 )sets poems in praise of the Virgin to medieval popular songs. Following on from the music of the troubadours of southern France, the church in Paris seemed to take the view why should the devil have all the good songs. The settings are fresh and lively and although not exactly for partying, they haven't yet taken on a solemn ecclesiastical feel. The singers of the Harp Consort amend their vocal style accordingly, being slightly more nasal and folk oriented. The instrumentation features vielles, bagpipes, shawm, cornettomuto, citole, medieval lute, harp, psaltery, organetto and percussion. There are similarities with the Italian disk from acantus that I recently posted on but whereas that was anonymous music performed in small village communities, there is an increased sophistication here from the participation of one guiding hand, de Coincy, and from the emerging power of the cathedral at Notre Dame. Such very early music hardly seems to fit the category of classical music. In modern day marketing terms, it might sit happier as world music.