I'm ashamed that I have neglected this blog for the last 6 weeks or so because I have been so busy writing about summer theatre and concerts in Large Stage Live, and about my travels in Round and Round My World. But here I am with another delightful musical rarity.
The starting point for this music is a king -- Alfonso X "El Sabio" ("The Wise") who ruled Castile in Spain during the latter half of the 1200s. Among his numerous interests the arts and sciences ranked highly, and he co-authored or sponsored numerous treatises, books, and catalogues. One of the most noteworthy is the immense collection of Cantigas de Santa Maria ("Songs of the Virgin Mary"). There are over 400 poems, with music, in this collection, describing the miracles of the Blessed Virgin in vivid and colourful terms -- and even including one miracle which the King said happened to him! The manuscript forms the single largest collection of music and poetry in the vernacular from the Middle Ages.
Numerous artists have made reconstructions and recordings of selections from the cantigas. Among them, Philip Pickett (director of the New London Consort) came up with a unique "hook" on which to hang his collection. He surmised that songs like this were very likely sung and played by pilgrims travelling along the ancient pilgrim's road to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela, and set out to recreate a collection of music that might well have been so used. The result is a 2-CD album which appeared on the Oiseau-Lyre label, entitled The Pilgrimage to Santiago.
The Cantigas manuscript supplies only a melodic line -- no indications of instrumentation or vocal distribution are given. As is well understood, this freed musicians everywhere to make what they would of the material with the resources at hand. There's also the whole question of what kind of rhythmic pattern should be used in each number. And here is where Pickett had his real inspiration, which makes his recording lift off the disc and burst into vivid life.
In the Portico de la Gloria of the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela there is a remarkable stone carving above the door. It depicts the Twenty-Four Elders gathered around the throne of God (as described in the book of Revelation), with all of them holding instruments. But unlike the harps so often associated with celestial music, these players comprise an entire orchestra of mediaeval instruments -- fiddles, rebecs, flutes, tabors, an organistrum (a hurdy-gurdy played by 2 people), and so on. Pickett simply made the reasonable assumption that the carver was depicting an ensemble he had actually seen and heard. He then set out to recreate the ensemble for the recording.
The result is fantastic -- energetic, lively, brilliant, earthy in style, and tremendous fun for listening. The selection of instruments constantly shifts and changes from song to song, even from verse to verse within a song. Rhythms are splendidly vigorous. The opening Que la Virgen ben servira has a catchy syncopated rhythm that keeps performers and listeners alike keyed up for the story. While the lengthy strophic songs could be tedious, the energy and variety of the performance keeps them moving right along. Interspersed among the cantigas are other vocal numbers known in Castile at the time of the cantigas: plainsong chants, tropes, teaching songs, love songs, and much more.
The climax of each disc is the splendid processional of Dum pater familias, the traditional song in honour of St. James of Compostela sung by the pilgrims. It's a four-square march tune, entirely appropriate for a walking song, and employs the full instrumental resources of the ensemble. At the end of the first disc it appears as a purely instrumental version, but on the second disc it concludes the entire concert with full choral participation as well.
Singers and instrumentalists alike are first-rate throughout. Words are clearly sung, and complete texts with translations are provided, as well as lengthy notes about the process of reconstructing the music for performance. This recording is now several decades old, but you might be lucky enough to find a copy in a used-CD dealer's store, and if you do you should grab it fast. It's a real winner!
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