Before the First Nowell
An English Christmas

Many of today's Christmas themes and traditions have their roots in practices of the Middle Ages. In particular, Medieval England left us wonderful customs for the Christmas season including the singing of songs and carols. In addition to songs for the nativity, music for the veneration of the Virgin Mary rose to new heights of ceremony and splendor. We bring the music of these age-old traditions to life, dusting off medieval versions of such favorites as There is No Rose of Such Virtue and sharing some magnificent songs that should never have been forgotten.

REVIEW OF OUR PERFORMANCE OF THIS PROGRAM:
“The trio was absolutely on top of their game, executing even the most floridly ornamented passages in tight sync with a pure sound and centered pitch.… They sang with pure, controlled sounds and performed in a communicative, thoughtful style, handling the music not as a precious antique but as something vital and fascinating.... They created a musically heartfelt performance that was rich in musical and historical details.” — Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

PROGRAM (subject to change):

Gabriel fram heven-king (13th-15th c.)
Magnificat (John Dunstable, c. 1390-1453)
Beata Viscera (14th c.)
Lullay: Als I lay on yoolis night (13th c.)
Ther is no rose of swych vertu (15th c.)
Sancta Maria Virgo (14th c.)
A laudanda legione - Alleluya: Ave Maria (14th c.)
Beata Progenies (14th c.)
Lullay: I saw a swete semly syght (14th c.)
Paradisi Porta (14th c.)
Gaude Maria Virgo (14th c.)
Edi beo thu (13th c.)
Salve Virgo Virginum (14th c.)
Nesciens Mater (Bittering, fl. 14th c.)
As I lay upon a night (15th c.)
Peperit Virgo (13th c.)
Nowell sing we (15th c.)
Gaude Virgo immaculata (14th c.)
De spineto nata rosa (14th c.)

PROGRAM NOTES:

Since humans first recognized the passing of the seasons and the phenomenon of solar movement across the sky there has been a celebration in the middle of December. In Northern Europe where the diminishing of the sun and its return seemed to be a passing from death into life, feasts and festivals usually involved fertility rites and the celebration of lights. Although the earliest Christians until around the 4th century did not celebrate the feast of Christ's nativity, some of the pagan sentiment was adapted to what would later become one of the most important Christian holidays. As the holiday started to gain importance the idea of birth, renewal, and the return of the sun borrowed from the pagan celebrations were useful symbols in explaining the birth of the human manifestation of the divine.

The first Roman Christians observed the feasts of the Celts and others that lived in the British Isles and saw some similarities with winter festivals from their native lands to the south. The Celts held feasts involving huge bonfires, the source of the Yule log, and honoring the plants and trees that remained green throughout the year like pine trees and holly bushes. The tribes of the north also would sacrifice a boar in honor of Freya, the goddess of fertility. The Christians superimposed their festivals over the ancient pagan rites and adopted the old symbols to represent Christian ones. The religious orders, in trying to teach and convert the people started to tell the story of the Nativity in drama, simple plays telling the story of common folk like the shepherds being visited by angels and telling of the birth of Jesus. Sometimes songs would also be written in the vernacular to help the common person to understand better the story being told in the music. Such an example is the song Gabriel fram heven-king, a piece found in manuscripts in multiple versions some in Middle English and some in Latin.

The winter celebrations became more and more Christianized, but they also retained much of their secular nature. Even the nobles used the high spirits and joyous celebrations of the season to add to their own royal events. William the Conqueror was crowned King of England on Christmas Day in 1066. Most rulers held magnificent feasts on Christmas day including King John in 1213, King Henry III in 1252, and King Richard II in 1398. The ritual boar's head was presented and such amazing delectables such as live blackbird pie were eaten at these banquets, sometimes even accompanied by singers, dancers, and instrumentalists. Christmas at the courts was also recognized as a special moment of treaty and truce between kings and nations. Nobles were also expected to give special alms to the poor during the Christmas season. The church also benefited from noble largess during the holiday. Throughout his reign, Richard II made significant contributions to religious institutions at Christmas, including the bestowal of the Holy Innocents relics to York Minster in 1395.

As the feast of the nativity gained more and more popularity through the Middle Ages, so did the cult of Mary. Perhaps it is the basic acknowledgement that Mary was the human counterpart to the divine, humanity's portal to heaven. The overwhelming amount of music in honor of the Virgin Mary in England reflects her relative importance to the religious culture of England, as do the number of images, buildings, and writings created in her tribute. Even with the religious upheavals of the reformation and political wars, there remains today ample evidence of the importance of the Marian cult in England.

This program is a celebration of Christmas with music from medieval England. Some songs might be familiar, like the carol There is no rose, but many may be new to modern listeners. Many songs are in Latin, but some are in Middle English or in combinations of English and Latin. We sing not only some charming carols but also the distinctively English cantilenas—devotional songs recognizable by their "sweet" harmonies and lilting meters—as well as sophisticated motets. Some songs even incorporate elaborate polyphony where all three voices weave about each other in dizzying ornamentation alternating with simple plainchant melodies. The one element that brings all of these songs together is the recognition of the inherent joy of the texts and the hope for the return of light in the darkness, the opening of doors, festivity, and blessings for all humans.

© Carolann Buff