Medieval Magic

Unusual repertoire that would appeal to a large audience if it had the right exposure, this disk by the Dufay Collective is subtitled medieval instrumental music. The full title is rather less prosaic, A Dance In The Garden Of Mirth. It's over a dozen years old now but good to see that it is still in the catalogue. The twelve pieces featured are mainly from France and Italy with a single English example. The whole area of medieval instrumental music is shrouded in some mystery because of the lack of notation. Any work that did have any kind of documentation from that era tended to be sacred choral work. There are two treatises that did survive however and from which much of the material on this disk was taken ( by Jerome of Moravia and Johannes de Grocheo ) Whatever the uncertainty, the music here somehow has a very authentic feel and if it is perhaps a romanticised view, it is a most enjoyable one. The spirit of the dance pervades most of the pieces and although these come from the troubadour and trouvere heritage, there are connections apparent with the surviving folk tradition. There are also decidedly eastern sounding timbres and modes in may of the dances. The Dufay Collective are expert in this field and play with zest and enjoyment on a collection of instruments; slide trumpet, recorder, pipe and tabor, vielle, rebec, shawm, gittern, flute, bagpipes, lute, harp, organ and percussion. The whole disk is a delight.