Search - Cappella Nova, Alan Tavener :: Miracles of St Kentigern

A Scottish Gem

FrKurt Messick | Bloomington, IN USA | 10/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"St. Kentigern is considered the founder of the city of Glasgow, and its first bishop. The monastery of St. Serf's at Culross was the site of some of his miracles, as was the spot of Kentigern's monastery, on the burial placed of St. Fergus. The text used for the matins and vespers draw on these stories, and link the ideas of St. Kentigern to recognisable biblical images, such as the Ark of the Covenant, or images of the Christ child.



The manuscript containing the text for this performance dates from the thirteenth century, housed in Edinburgh. The manuscript calls for a Sarum use, and despite the text being in Latin, the base stories come from Gaelic language stories including Bretanic, Welsh, East Lothian and Gaelic, very colourful indeed.



The performance notes indicate that it is impossible to know just how things were performed centuries ago, particularly in the age that predates musical notation and standardisation such as we have today. This is especially true when dealing with musical instruments - the performance on this disc incorporates bells and clarsach (Celtic harp), in addition to vocal drones. One commentator describes them as 'weaving a magical tapestry of sound for the telling of these, literally, fabulous tales.'



Cappella Nova, under the direction of Alan Tavener, is Scotland's only professional a cappella group specialising in early and contemporary music. They are best known for plainchant and polyphony from early Scottish times. They are frequently broadcast on the BBC. This is their seventh recording. William Taylor is featured on the clarsach, and Angus Smith serves as lead tenor.



This is a wonderful recording. It is lively and interesting, full of the miracles that abound in Kentigern's own story. The Cappella Nova's vocal talents are strong and uniquely suited for this kind of repertoire. This is a gem of a recording that deserves to be better known.







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