BRITANNIA FLORENS

English love songs and sacred music circa 420–550 BLUE HERON Britannia Florens

Scott Metcalfe, direct or I Telus purpurium / Splendida fl amigero · John Benet (d. c.458) Martin Near Daniela Tošić II Allen Combs Speciosa fact a es · John Dunst able (c.390-c.453) · DT KM AC Kyle Mast erson Quam pulcra es · John Pyamour (d. c.426) · KM GB PG Aaron Sheehan Tota pulcra es · [?] Forest (fl . c.45-30) · MN AS MS Mark Sprinkle Glenn Billingsley III Paul Guttry Agnus dei from Mass Salve sanct a parens · Anonymous (English, c.435) Sumner Th ompson and IV Terence McKinney Go hert hurt with adversite · Anonymous (English, c.445) · DT AC ST Th us y compleyne my grevous hevynesse · Anonymous (English, c.445) · DT ST Le souvenir de vous me tue · Robert Morton (c.430-76 or later) · DT ST PG

V NEXT CONCERT Ave maria mater dei · William Cornysh (d.523) Saturday, April 6, 2005, at 8 pm & Sunday, April 7, 2005, at 3 pm Gaude maria virgo · Robert Johnson (c.500-c.560) Canciones, villancicos, y motetes: sacred and secular music from Spain and New Spain Crist óbal de Morales, Francisco Guerrero, Hernando Franco, Gasp ar Fernandes & others intermission free pre-concert talks at 7:5 pm (Saturday) and 2:5 pm (Sunday) VI SPECIAL EVENTS COMING UP IN THE SPRING Hear the voice and prayer · Th o maomass T aTallisllis ( (505-85)505-85) Stay tuned for dates and venues. If ye love me · Tallis

Spring 2005 fundraiser VII Les chansons du printemps: an evening of 5th-century French songs A robyn gentyl robyn · Cornysh · km AS MS GB ST Alas, alas · Walter Frye (d. c.475) · MN AC PG Blue Heron at the Bost on Early Music Fest ival (June 4-20, 2005) Music for the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I: Music by Josquin, Isaac, Senfl , La Rue, VIII and others, from the repertoire of the Imperial chapel and the songbooks Ibo michi ad montem · Leonel Power (c.370-445) · DT AC MS of Marguerite of Aust ria Pryncesse of youthe · Anonymous (English, early 5th century) · MN KM AS Quam pulcra es · Dunst able · DT ST GB

IX Quales sumus O miseri · John Mason (d.548)

Sunday, November 28, 2004 First Church in Cambridge, Congregational Texts & Translations

Telus purpurium / Splendida flamigero · Double-texted isorhythmic motet in honor of St. Alban et vox turturis audita est in terra nost ra. and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. Surge propera, amica mea, veni de Lybano, veni Arise, hast en, my love, come from Lebanon, come, you shall Triplum: Telus purpurium genuit Britannicam fl o- Th e earth gave birth to a purple fl ower of the British race coronaberis. be crowned. rem qui velut aetherem sidus dat ubique nitorem. which like a heavenly st ar gives its light everywhere. Est sacer Albanus, fi dei fl os et rosa mundi, Th is is the blessed Alban, fl ower of the faith and rose of the et violanta manus perfudit sanguinis unda. world, and a violent hand shed waves of his blood. Agnus dei · From the Ordinary of the Mass Ist a jacens imis dum lux cadit in inferiente Lying prone while the light falls, the fi rst martyr dies and in Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, martyr obit primus et in hac dat lumina gente. doing so gives a light to the people. miserere nobis. have mercy on us. Exsicat fl umen populo compassus eunti ut valeant He dries up the river, feeling pity for the people passing, so Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, numen verum sic cunct i that the divine will and truth should prevail together. miserere nobis. have mercy on us. ad caput in monte morientes numero manat undu- At the top of the hill a st ream quickly fl ows and by a sp ring- Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, laque fonte potatum morbidi sanat. ing wave gives a healing draught. dona nobis pacem. grant us peace. Nunc miles Christ i famulorum protege cast ra et Now, soldier of Christ , protect the camp of your servants nece nos trist i rapiens duc martyr ad ast ra. and, rescuing us from a doleful death, lead us, O martyr, to the st ars. Go hert hurt with adversite Go hert hurt with adversite Go, heart, hurt with adversity, Motetus: Splendida fl amigero micuit lux sidere vero A sp lendid shining light blazed forth from a fi ery st ar when and let my lady thi woundis see and let my lady thy wounds see, cum fi dei palmam martyrio extulit almam. Nova in martyrdom he held up the palm of faith. He sowed a new and sey hire this as y say the and tell her this, as I tell thee: teluris sp ersit jam semina duris civibus et gentem seed on the hard earth for the citizens and nurtured his farewel my joy and welcome peyne farewell my joy, and welcome pain, propriam fovet esurientem. Ist a tuae laudi cum own hungry race. Hear this in your praise when we rejoice til y se my lady agayne. ’til I see my lady again. cantica psallimus audi et pater anglorum pius et dux with song, and be a kind father of the English and leader of est o tuorum. your people. Thus y compleyne my grevous hevynesse Th us y compleyne my grevous hevynesse Th us I lament my grievous heaviness Speciosa facta es · Marian antiphon to you that knowith this of myne entent. to you that knows of my desire. Speciosa fact a es et suavis in deliciis virginitatis, You are beautiful and sweet in the delights of virginity, holy Alas alas why shuld ye be merselese Alas, alas, why should you be merciless? sanct a dei genitrix, quam videntes fi lie Syon vernan- Mother of God: whom the daughters of Sion, seeing her so moche beute as god hathe you sent So much beauty God has given you, tem in fl oribus rosarum et liliis convallium beatissi- blossoming forth in fl owers of roses and lily of the valley, ye may my peyne relese you may release me from my pain; mam predicaverunt, et regine laudeverunt eam. proclaimed most blessed, and praised her as a queen. do as ye list I hold me content. but do as you wish: I will be satisfi ed.

Quam pulcra es · Marion antiphon: Song of Songs 7:4-7, -2 Le souvenir de vous me tue Quam pulcra es et quam decora, carissima, in How beautiful you are, and how fair, dearest , in charms! Le souvenir de vous me tue, Th e memory of you kills me, deliciis. Statura tua assimilata est palme, et ubera Your st ature is like to a palm tree, and your breast s the Mon seul bien, quant je ne vous voy. my only love, when I do not see you. tua botris. Caput tuum ut Carmelus, collum tuum clust ers of its fruit. Your head is like Mount Carmel, your Car je vous jure sur ma foy, For I swear to you upon my faith, sicut turris eburnea. Veni, dilect e mi, egrediamur neck a tower of ivory. Come, my beloved, let us go forth Sans vous ma liesse est perdue. Without you my joy is lost . in agrum, et videamus si fl ores fruct us parturierunt, into the fi eld, let us see if the blossoms have budded, if the Quant vous est es hor de ma vue, When you are out of my sight, si fl oruerunt mala punica. Ibi dabo tibi ubera mea. pomegranates are in fl ower. Th ere I will give you my love. Je me plains et dis a par moy, I lament and say to myself, Alleluia. Alleluia. Le souvenir de vous me tue… Th e memory of you kills me… Seule demeure desp ourveue, Alone, I remain deprived, D’ame nul confort ne reçoy, From not a soul do I receive comfort, Tota pulcra es · Marian antiphon; Song of Songs 4:7, , 2; 5:-3, 0, 4:8 Et si seuff re sans faire eff roy, And thus I suff er without complaint Tota pulcra es amica mea et macula non est in te, You are all beautiful, my love, and there is no fl aw in you: Jusques a vost re revenue. Until your return. favus dist illans labia tua, mel et lac sub lingua tua, your lips a dripping honeycomb, honey and milk under Le souvenir de vous me tue… Th e memory of you kills me… odor unguentorum tuorum super omnia aromata. your tongue, the odor of your perfumes above all sp ices. Jam enim yemps transiit ymber abiit et recessit, For now the winter is past , the rains are over and gone, the fl ores apparuerunt, vinee fl orentes odorem dederunt fl owers have appeared, the vines in fl ower yield their scent,

4 5 Ave Maria mater dei Le plaintif Ave Maria mater dei regina, celi domina, mundi im- Hail Mary, Queen Mother of God, Lady of Heaven, Em- Th ou art happy while that doeth last , peratrix inferni, miserere mei et totius populi chris- press of this world below: have mercy on me and the whole but I say as I fynde, tiani; et ne permittas nos mortaliter peccare, sed Christ ian people; and do not let us commit mortal sin, but that womens love is but a blast tuam sanct issimam voluntatem adimplere. Amen. let us fulfi ll your most holy will. Amen. and torneth like the wynde. Resp once Yf that be trew as yett thou sayst that women turn their hart, Gaude Maria virgo then sp ek better of them thou mayst Gaude Maria virgo; cunct as hereses sola interemist i Rejoice, O virgin Mary: you alone dest royed all the heresies in hope to hau thy partt. in universo mundo. Qui Gabrielis archangeli dict is in the whole world. You who believed the words of the arch- Le plaintif credidist i, dum virgo deum et hominem genuist i, et angel Gabriel gave birth to God and man while a virgin, Suche folkes shall take no harme by love post partum virgo inviolata permansist i. and aft er the birth remained a pure virgin. that can abide their torne, but I alas can no way prove prove: try, learn by experience in love but lake and morne. lake: sp ort, dally Resp once Hear the voice and prayer But if thou wilt avoyde thy harme Hear the voice and prayer of thy servants, that they lerne this lessen of me, make before thee this day: that thine eyes may be at othre fi res thyself to warme open toward this house, night and day, even toward and let theim warme with the. this place, of which thou hast said: My name shall be there. And when thou hear’st , have mercy on them.

Alas, alas, alas Alas, alas, alas is my chief song, Alas, alas, alas is my chief song: If ye love me · John 4:5-7 ff or peyne and woo none other can y syng. for pain and woe, I can sing none other. If ye love me, keep my commandments, and I will Inst ed of rest asobbe y tale among, Inst ead of rest ing, sobbing I tell my tale, pray the Father, and he shall give you another com- ff or myn onese and deathe along siching. seeking my discomfort and death. forter, that he may bide with you forever: e’en the Th e grounde of wo I fele is departing: Th e cause of the woe I feel is departing: sp irit of truth. the more long, the more byting the peyn. the longer it last s, the more biting the pain. With the trew turtil all chaunge forsweryng, With the true turtledove all change forswearing, Welchome my deth certeyne I entune and pleyne. “Welcome, my certain death,” I sing and lament.

A robyn gentyl robyn · Popular song? with additional verses by Sir Th omas Wyatt A robyn gentyl robyn tel me how thy leman doth leman: lover, mist ress Ibo michi ad montem · Marion antiphon; Song of Songs 4:6-8 and thow shal know off myne Ibo michi ad montem mire et ad colles libani, et I will go into the mountain of myrrh and to the hills of My Lady is vnkynde Iwis loquar sp onse mee: Tota sp eciosa es, et macula non Lebanon, and say to my bride: You are all beautiful, and alas why is she so est in te. Veni de Libano, venies et transibimus ad there is no fl aw in you. Come from Lebanon; you will come she lovyth another better than me montem Seir et Hermon, a cubilibus leonum et a and we will cross to Mount Senir and Mount Hermon, from and yet she will say no. montibus leopardorum. Alleluya. the dens of lions and the mountains of leopards. Alleluya. Resp once I can not thynk such doubylnes for I fynd woomen trew In faith my lady lovith me well she will change for no new.

6 7 Pryncesse of youthe · From Th e Temple of Glas by John Lydgate, c.420 ut oculos misericordes to turn merciful eyes Pryncesse of youthe and fl oure of gentylesse, Princess of youth and fl ower of nobility, ad nos convertas et sordes towards us and remove Ensaumple of vertu, grounde of courteysye, Model of virtue, foundation of courtly behavior, peccatorum amoveas, the transgressions of sinners, Of bountee roote, queen and ek mayst resse Of generosity the root, queen and also mist ress scelerumque soluto vect e, and not to desp ise, as they deserve, To alle wymmen, howe they shal hem guye, To all women, showing how they ought to behave, Jesum sequentes rect e the worms seeking to follow Jesus Th e sothefast myrour, good t’exemplyfye, Th e trust worthy mirror, good to imitate, vermiculos ne desp icias. aft er committing their sins. Th e right way to the porte of wommanhed: Th e right way to womanly conduct : What I shal sey, of mercy take the heed. Of what I shall say, for mercy’s sake take thee heed. Israel celum non resp icit, Israel does not look towards heaven, nam terrena pulvis perfi cit; for dust is the fate of earthly things: Beseeching fi rst unto youre hye noblesse Beseeching fi rst your high nobility hinc desp erans confunditur. hence she is thrown into desp air. With qwakyng hert, of myn unware drede, With quaking heart (out of my inward dread), Quare pro nobis deprecare Intercede therefore for us Of grace and pitee and not of rightwysnesse, For grace and pity’s sake, and not out of righteousness, ad hunc qui lapides mutare with him who is said to turn st ones Of verray routhe to helpen in this neede; For true compassion to help in this dist ress; in Abraham fi lios dicitur into sons of Abraham Th is is to say, o welle of ggodelyheed, Th is is to say, O well of godliness, Th at I ne rechche thoughe ye do me dye Th at I care not even if you cause me to die, ut Israel oculos erigat so that Israel may raise her eyes So you list fi rst e to here what I seye. If only you list en fi rst to hear what I say. ad celum et deum sitiat to heaven and thirst for God sicut cervus aquarum fontes, as the hart pants aft er the water-brooks, ut, de Pharaonis imperio and so that we, snatched at last erepti tandem durissimo, from the most cruel tyranny of Pharaoh, Quam pulcra es · Marion antiphon: Song of Songs 7:4-7, -2 mare transeamus insontes. may cross the sea without harm. Quam pulcra es et quam decora, carissima, in How beautiful you are, and how fair, dearest , in charms! deliciis. Statura tua assimilata est palme, et ubera Your st ature is like to a palm tree, and your breast s the Et, licet host es seviant, And, although enemies rage, tua botris. Caput tuum ut Carmelus, collum tuum clust ers of its fruit. Your head is like Mount Carmel, your hos maria non operiant, let the seas not conceal them, sicut turris eburnea. Veni, dilect e mi, egrediamur neck a tower of ivory. Come, my beloved, let us go forth O domina, O Lady, in agrum, et videamus si fl ores fruct us parturierunt, into the fi eld, let us see if the blossoms have budded, if the sed sevitiam removeant, but wash away their fury, si fl oruerunt mala punica. Ibi dabo tibi ubera mea. pomegranates are in fl ower. Th ere I will give you my love. ut ereptos hos deleant so that these plunderers may be then dest royed Alleluia. Alleluia. claust ra tunc infernalia. by the confi nes of hell.

Et sic, virtutibus fecundi, And thus, rich in merit, ad celest ia mente mundi may we hast en to heaven Quales sumus, O miseri properemus, O Maria, with a pure mind, O Mary, Quales sumus, O miseri, What are we, O wretches, ut post fi nem vite, jocundi so that aft er life’s end, properantes ad portas inferi, hurrying to the gates of hell, Christ o junct i, letabundi happily united with Christ , quatriduani fetentes, st inking aft er four days, una cantemus alleluia. as one we may sing Alleluia. ut te laudare presumamus, that we dare to praise you, O Maria, cum sciamus O Mary, although we know non audiri delinquentes? that sinners are not to be heard?

Sed in arct o const ituti, But, narrowly confi ned, in labore lateris et luti, toiling with bricks and clay, translations by Nick Sandon & Scott Metcalfe insudantes gemiscimus. sweating, we groan. Consolatricem miserorum Comforter of the wretched et refect ricem laborum, and refresher of labors, te deposcimus we beg you

8 9 Biographies Baritone Glenn Billingsley hhasas ssungung lleadingeading New England Conservatory of Music. Th is is his dents from Brown University and New England roles with the Chautauqua, Santa Fe, Lake George fi rst performance with Blue Heron. Conservatory’s Extension School. and New York City Opera companies, but his true love is ensemble music. He has toured the Terence McKinney hashas beenbeen singingsinging inin thethe Mark Sprinkle has sung with a diverse list of United States, South America and Europe with Bost on area since coming to st udy voice at New ensembles and conduct ors, recently appearing as the Waverly Consort, and has been a member of England Conservatory and the Longy School of a soloist with Concerto Palatino in Jordan Hall New York’s Ensemble for Early Music, the Clar- Music over ten years ago. Aft er additional st ud- and in performances of Monteverdi’s 60 Ves- ion Concert Society, the Bach Aria Group, New ies in England, where he performed regularly pers in the Emerson Majest ic Th eater with Grant York’s Musica Sacra, and numerous other choral with London-area choirs and as far afi eld as Ed- Llewellyn. He has appeared at the Bergen Music organizations. Glenn helps his wife, soprano and inburgh University, he returned to Bost on and Fest ival in Norway and at the Monadnock, Van- voice teacher Monique Phinney, to support their has performed and recorded with area early mu- couver, and Edinburgh Music Fest ivals, and was two teenage children, Lisa and Ken, by working sic ensembles including Schola Cantorum, Har- a fellow of the Britten-Pears Inst itute. He has at MIT as Direct or of Arts Development. vard Early Music Society, Capella Alamire, the sung with Blue Heron for the past fi ve years. Handel & Haydn Society, and Blue Heron. He is A native of Idaho, Allen Combs has been an now enrolled at West on Jesuit School of Th eol- Praised for his “consummate artist ry” (Pitts- act ive part of the greater Bost on musical com- ogy and hopes that performing will continue to burgh Post -Gazette), baritone Sumner Th omp- munity for the past twenty years. As a tenor and be an act ive part of his life. son is quickly becoming much sought aft er on countertenor he has performed and recorded the concert as well as the opera st age. Among with early music ensembles such as Schola Can- A violinist and a conduct or with a repertoire the highlights of recent seasons were his Carn- torum, Capella Alamire and the Choir of the extending from the fi ft eenth century to the egie Hall debut in Messiah with the Mast erwork Church of the Advent. In addition to his work as eighteenth, Scott Metcalfe is concertmast er of Chorus, appearances in Britten’s Death in Venice a singer, Allen is the music direct or of the Ando- the Trinity Consort in Portland, Oregon, and a and Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims with the Chicago ver Choral Society and the New England Dance member of the ensemble La Luna. Besides Blue Opera Th eater, and performances in the title role Ensemble, and the vocal direct or of the Com- Heron, he also direct s the Renaissance choir of Monteverdi’s Orfeo with Contemporary Opera posers’ Conference and Chamber Music Society Convivium Musicum. He is currently pursuing Denmark. His upcoming engagements include at Wellesley College a mast er’s degree in the hist orical performance Messiah with Apollo’s Fire conduct ed by Richard pract ice of music at Harvard University. Egarr, the role of Apollo in Opera Bost on’s pro- Bass-baritone Paul Guttry enjoysenjoys a variedvaried ca-ca- duct ion of Alcest e, and Bach’s Mass in B Minor reer including opera, oratorio, and chamber mu- Martin Near, countertenor, has st udied com- with the Mast erwork Chorus. sic. Last sp ring he appeared in the role of Noah position at New England Conservatory, and was in Britten’s Noye’s Fludde with the Bost on Revels, trained at Saint Th omas Choir School in Man- Mezzo-soprano Daniela Tošić, a native of and in September appeared as Publio in Mozart’s hattan. Mr. Near sings with the Choir of Church Yugoslavia, is a founding member of Tapest ry, La Clemenza di Tito with Prism Opera. Paul has of the Advent, and is also act ive as a composer a female vocal ensemble, and the vocal and in- sung with Sequentia and is a former member in Bost on. He currently st udies voice with Mark st rumental quintet Hourglass. She also performs of Chanticleer and the New York Ensemble for St. Laurent. regularly with La Donna Musicale and the en- semble Balmus. Ms Tosic has recorded for Telarc Early Music. In Bost on he has performed with Aaron Sheehan, tenor, is now enjoying his and MDG. Emmanuel Music, Handel & Haydn, the Bost on fourth season singing with Blue Heron. Other Cecilia, Prism Opera, and Collage New Music. groups that he has appeared with include Th e- Kyle Mast erson, tenor, is an act ive member ater of Voices, the Handel and Haydn Society, of the Bost on musical community. He has re- Fortune’s Wheel, and Liber unUsualis. Last week cently performed with the Handel & Haydn So- he sang the title role in the Harvard Early Music ciety, Ensemble Abendmusik, and Cut Circle. He Society’s product ion of Monteverdi’s Orfeo. He is currently pursuing his Mast ers degree at the also keeps an act ive teaching schedule with st u-

0  Acknowledgments Th anks to the Church of the Good Shepherd in Watertown and Emmanuel Church in Bost on for providing us with rehearsal sp ace, and to First Church in Cambridge for a lovely concert venue. Special thanks to David Halst ead for preparing, on short notice, a new transcription of Forest ’s Tota pulcra es. Our grateful thanks to all those people who have generously supported the eff orts of Blue Heron Renaissance Choir.

Donors from January , 2004 through November 5, 2004

Angel Sponsor Anonymous Anonymous Cynthia Schlaikjer Charles Ash Th omas & Carroll Bisson Benefact or Robert Kowalik Peggy Badenhausen & Tom Kelly Anne H. Matthews Diane & John Paul Britton William & Elizabeth Metcalfe Th eresa Neilsen-Steinhardt Cindy & Peter Nebolsine Richard Schmeidler Ellen Powers Mimi Sprinkle Supporter Patron Anonymous Ann C. Allen Margaret Angelini & John McLeod Paul Guttry Martha Davidson David Halst ead May & Carl Daw Lydia Knutson Jeff rey Del Papa & Susan Assmann Eiji Miki & Jane Hever Richard & Patricia Emery Alan & Judith Kotok Sterling Lambert & Susan Bisson Lambert Bruce & Virginia Roberts Cill & Carl Triebs Michal Truelson & Jody Wormhoudt Lee Warren Beverly Woodward & Paul Monsky

program design by Evan Ingersoll