The vocal ensemble Red Byrd, led by founders John Potter and Richard Wistreich, return in a second volume dedicated to Léonin (Leoninus), who along with Pérotin was one of the two greatest composers associated with the Church of Notre Dame in Paris in the 12th century. And while Pérotin has received a fair share of artistic attention, the elder Léonin’s contributions have been more veiled, though they are recognized by scholars as a cornerstone in the development of organum. Little is known about him besides his work at Notre Dame (and that on the side he was an avid author of homoerotic poetry). But history’s benign neglect has begun to be righted by Red Byrd’s superb work. Here, the group’s attention is focused on excerpts from one of Léonin’s Magnus Liber Organi, a cycle of two-part settings (edited later by Pérotin) for major dates on the liturgical calendar.
Settings for Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost are recorded here, along with Léonin’s “Benedicamus Domino”, heard at the end of hours as well as at the end of certain masses (in place of the Gloria). His writing intersperses plainsong and polyphony, and the vocalists strike a beautiful balance between singing with a gravely pure tone in the plainsong lines and a feather-light touch on the ornamented melismas of the polyphonic sections. The student ensemble Yorvox, from the University of York, joins Red Byrd for this recording, adding welcome elegance and precision to the proceedings. The academic importance of Red Byrd’s work is high, but it is the serene beauty of the singing that will attract most listeners. With warm, vibrant, atmospheric sound, this disc is highly recommended, as is the previous volume.
