The disc’s title comes from the name “magister” that often was applied to literate musicians of 14th-century England, whose music was copied on long rolls for performance. Although we don’t know any of their names, we know a lot about the compositional style and technique of the composers represented on this recording, all of which is clearly and succinctly explained in the liner notes by Gothic Voices director Christopher Page. As we’ve come to expect from this vocal ensemble’s 18 or so previous recordings (for this outing, there are five singers), here is an inventive, intelligent program, sung to the highest standard, that both enlightens and entertains. We hear examples of “same text” pieces, where all voices sing together the same words at the same time, as well as motets in which different texts are sung simultaneously. The program is filled out with several songs “connected with the political events of the reign of Edward II.” Bold, deliberate rhythms share time with frisky syncopations; vibrant, open-spaced harmonies contrast with surprising parallel chords and spicy dissonances. The Gothic Voices’ consistently clear, focused vocal sound maximizes the effect of the harmonic writing and gives the program a cohesive sonic context. Throughout these performances you get the impression that singing this music must be even more fun than listening. It’s true, and once again the Gothic Voices show us that, musically speaking, the Middle Ages was anything but dark, dull, or driveling.
