ECHOES

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Take a trip down memory lane with trio Voxfire’s concert gems and the rich musical history they represent. “Echoes” is an eclectic compilation of live performances: refreshingly unaltered, virtuosic performances of favorite tunes from the 12th to 17th centuries, spanning mystic chants, jaunty ballades and lamenting songs through lively and heartfelt Italian madrigals. Hear Voxfire — both breathtakingly unaccompanied and expertly transported with ancient instruments — and revel in times past.

ARTISTS

Samela Aird Beasom — voice

Christen Herman — voice

Susan Judy — voice

Shira Kammen — vielle, medieval harp

Nina Treadwell — theorbo, Baroque guitar

Linda Burman-Hall — harpsichord, organ

Amy Brodo — viola da gamba

ALBUM CREDITS

Live concert recordings:

Santa Cruz Baroque Festival — Barry Phillips, engineer

Episcopal Cathedral Center of St Paul, Los Angeles, CA — Martin Herman, engineer

Grinnell College, Iowa

CD Mastering: James Neil, Neil Recorders, Pasadena, CA

Voxfire Photographs: Alexandra Palko

TRACKS

1. O quam mirabilis 3:18 — Latin antiphon, text and setting by Hildegard of Bingen (1098 - 1179)

2. O nobilissima viriditas 4:55 — Latin chant, text and setting by Hildegard of Bingen (1098 - 1179)

3. Ave stella matutina 3:49 — Gregorian chant (Latin)

4. La bella stella 2:50 — Italian 2-part ballata by Johannes de Florentia (fl. 14th century)

5. Sancta Maria, non est tibi similis 2:17 — Latin motet by John Dunstable (ca. 1370 - 1453)

6. Honte, paour, doubtance 3:00 — French ballade by Guillaume de Machaut (ca. 1300 - 1377)

7. Or sus, vous dormés trop 5:59 — French virelai by Anonymous (14th century)

8. O cieco mondo 2:38 — Italian madrigal set by Jacopo da Bologna (fl.ca. 1340-1360)

9. Je ne cesse de prier 2:19 — from Le lai de la fonteinne, by Guillaume de Machaut (ca. 1300 - 1377)

10. Pour ce te pri 1:29 — from Le lai de la fonteinne, by Guillaume de Machaut (ca. 1300 - 1377)

11. Et qui de ceste eaue prendroit 1:29 — from Le lai de la fonteinne, by Guillaume de Machaut (ca. 1300 - 1377)

12. De la duis le pere nomme 2:27 — from Le lai de la fonteinne, by Guillaume de Machaut (ca. 1300 - 1377)

13. Gram piant’agli occhi 4:11 — Italian ballata by Francesco Landini (ca. 1325 - 1397)

14. Nella mi' vita 2:43 — Italian ballata by Francesco Landini (ca. 1325 - 1397)

15. Su la rivera 1:39 — Italian madrigal from Codex Rossi (14th century), set by Anonymous

16. Fresh New Rose / De toutes flours 6:16 — Italian poem "Fresca rosa novella" by Guido Cavalcanti (1254-1300), spoken, in translation, by Samela Aird Beasom, followed by De toutes flours, a French ballade by Guillaume de Machaut (ca. 1300 - 1377)

17. Worldes blis 1:19 — Middle English poem by Anonymous (13th century)

18. O my Hart 1:03 — English song by King Henry VIII (1491 - 1547)

19. Ah Robyn 2:25 — English poem by Anonymous; set by William Cornyshe (ca. 1465 - 1523)

20. T’amo mia vita 3:19 — Italian poem likely by Giovanni Battista Guarini (1538 - 1612), spoken, in translation, by Susan Judy, followed by setting by Luzzasco Luzzaschi (ca. 1545 - 1607)

21. Amor ch’attendi 1:22 — Italian poem possibly by Ottavio Rinuccini (1562 - 1621), set by Giulio Caccini (1546 - 1618)

22. Sì sì ch’io v’amo 4:29 — Italian poem by Anonymous, spoken, in translation, by Samela Aird Beasom, followed by setting by Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643)

23. Amore è bandito 3:34 — Italian poem by Anonymous, spoken, in translation, by Christen Herman, followed by setting by Barbara Strozzi (1619 - 1677)

24. Come dolce hoggi l’auretta 3:17 — Italian poem possibly by Giulio Strozzi (1583 - 1660), set by Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643)

TRANSLATIONS

1. O quam mirabilis

O how miraculous is the perception
Of the Divine Understanding,
That He knows all creation.
For with Jesus
He examines the doings of man,
Whom He has made,
Likewise He beholds all His works
Made whole in the form of man.
O how miraculous is the inspiration,
That mankind thus is elevated.

2. O nobilissima viriditas

O most noble greenness,
Who are rooted in the sun
And who in brilliant serenity
Shine in a wheel
Which no earthly supremacy can grasp,
You are circled in embraces
Of divine ministries.
You redden like the dawn
And burn like the sun's flames.

3. Ave stella matutina

Hail! Star of the morning,
Lily of purity,
Mother of the King
And Queen of Heaven,
Lead us from destruction
With the gift of your grace.
From you, Maria,
Shines the light
Of words of pure truth.
In you, then, wisdom appears
Before the radiance of the deity.
Walk the life, the law and the way
Of the virgin chaste.
For the world,
You alone lead the way
To the holy Love of salvation.

4. La bella stella

The beautiful star
Who always keeps her flame
Lit in my mind,
Luminous and clear,
Was emerging from the mountain.
I wondered greatly,
But the Lord, who is great, said:
“Our virtue pours forth water of this kind.”

5. Sancta Maria, non est tibi similis

Holy Mary, in this world
there has arisen
none like you among women.
Blooming like the rose,
fragrant, as the lily,
pray for us, holy Mother of God.

6. Honte, paour, doubtance

Shame, timidity, fear of doing ill,
Reluctance to display her will,
Generous in denial, and slow to assent,
Reason, moderation, honor and modesty
Must appear in her heart,
And have no dread of slander in any wise,
And in every way cowardly to be in love,
Which keeps good watch over her honor.

7. Or sus, vous dormés trop

Now you sleep too long, my pretty lady.
It is day—arise and listen to the lark:
“Que dit Dieu….que te dis Dieu”
[as God says…what’s God saying to you?]
It is day, it is day, it is day, again I say: it is day.”
O lady of sovereign beauty above all,
For you so pretty and fair,
Near you in the tender month of May
I stay and will remain.
It is worth it.

And now without delay
Sound up the nakers and bagpipes:
“Lire, lire, lire, lyliron, lyliron, lire,
titinton, titinton, titinton, titinton.”
Partners, let’s dance, let’s step together.
“titinton ton.”
It is to you, my lady,
That God himself pays homage.

And I do beg you, love,
Come out and play:
“Lire….titinton.”
Now let us sing and keep time
And gaily turn about
“titinton ton.”
It’s a sweet life, nothing could be finer.

For I live in hopes of rousing you,
My pretty one,
Making the blackbird sing,
And the redwing and the goldfinch:
“Chireli, chireli, chireli” as they sing on;
They sing while Robin sleeps on like the dead.
So let’s dance, you little Paris hussy,
For you, whom I love above all mortals,
This ballad was made;
Lady, I offer it to you.
For I will always serve you
With true heart and steadfast love.

8. O cieco mondo

O blind world, full of flattery,
Deadly poison in each of your delights,
False, full of deceit and distrust.

Yet he is never concerned about you
Who will taste the fruit
Of sweet blossoms.

9. Je ne cesse de prier

My dear lady
To lighten my burden of woe,
But she so much keeps her distance
And I find her so harsh and proud
That my beseeching cannot soften her resistance.

And so I shall approach another lady,
Who will grant me utter joy
Easily, and with a smile
For ever; this is no fickle love
And it will never grow less;
Indeed, the only true joy one can choose
Is the joy that lies in her.

10. Pour ce te pri

For this reason I beg you,
Virgin, hear my prayer,
For little do I declare
Or decry
Or lament the sins
Which are in me
From long past,
Slumbering beneath the surface,
And they make me shudder,
For they are rooted in my very heart.

I offer you my soul
And give it up to you
Without hesitation,
And choose you
Above all things.
Now be my refuge
And be with me
Against the devil,
For I have no friend
Nor any help in my misery.

11. Et qui de ceste eaue prendroit

And if you took this water
And put it
In cold weather
In some vessel, it would set
And freeze
So that you could
Shape the ice;

But it would never lose its taste
Or change it,
For henceforward it would still be
Water and have the properties of water.
Anyone can see that
And observe it
In the winter time.

12. De la duis le pere nomme

The source, then, is God the Father,
The fountain is the Son
Who comes from the Father and became man,
And the clear and gentle stream
Is the Holy Ghost, that is how it is;
It comes from both the Father and the Son.
These six are three, that works out
If one gives it careful thought.

But I would rather be in Rome
Or overseas in exile
Or thrown in the Somme,
Or the River Jordan or the Nile
Than believe anything that a worthy man
Should not believe without risking his soul;
For is anything worth a fig
Without God? Certainly not, I say!

13. Gram piant’agli occhi

Tears pour from my eyes,
Heavy grief is in my heart,
My soul is overwhelmed
And I die because of this bitter, harsh separation.

I call on death,
Who does not want to hear me;
Life goes on against my will
And I must suffer a thousand deaths.
But although I live I never want to follow,
Against my will, a bright star and sweet love.

14. Nella mi' vita

I feel that my heart is failing my life,
Because I must leave you.
I leave in pain,
Because Fortune wishes it
And forces me to do so.

But wherever I shall be,
As long as my strength lasts, Lady,
You will not be able to avoid my being yours.
Because my soul would sooner die with my body
Than leave you.

15. Su la rivera

On the sea shore,
Where the sun’s heat stirs the salty depths,
I find myself more deserted by love than ever before.
This fateful arrow has so deeply wounded my heart
That I can only die.

16. De toutes flours

Of all flowers and all fruits there were none
In my orchard except a single rose:
The rest was laid waste and destroyed
By Fortune who harshly makes war
Against this sweet flower
To crush its colour and perfume.
But if I see it picked or fallen.
After it I never seek to have another.

But truly I cannot imagine
That the virtue which surrounds my rose
Should come from you and by your false deeds.
Rather it is a true gift of nature; and I believe
That you will never have the strength
To abase its value and worth.
Leave it to me then, for elsewhere than in my orchard
After it I never seek to have another.

Ah! Fortune, who are a gulf and pit
To swallow up any man who dares believe
Your false law, in which I find nothing good
And nothing sure, is too deceptive a thing;
Your smile, your joy, your honour
Are only tears, sadness and dishonour.
If your false turns make my rose wither.
After it I never seek to have another.

17. Worldes blis

The world’s joy lasts no time at all,
It departs and fades away at once.
The longer I know it,
The less value I find in it.
For it is all mixed with troubles,
With sorrows and misfortune,
And at the last,
When it begins to pass away,
It leaves a man poor and naked.
All the joy, both here and there,
Is finally encompassed
By weeping and lamentation.

18. O my Hart

O my hart and o my hart
My hart it is so sore
Sens I must nedys from my loue depart
And know no cause wherefore.

19. Ah Robyn

Ah, Robin, gentle, Robin,
Tell me how thy leman doth
And thou shalt know of mine.

My lady is unkind I wis,
Alack why is she so?
She lov'th another better than me,
And yet she will say no.

I cannot think such doubleness
For I find women true,
In faith my lady lov'th me well
She will change for no new.

20. T’amo mia vita

“I love you my life,” my dear love
Sweetly tells me, and with this single
Lovely phrase
It seems my heart is joyfully transformed,
To make me its master.
Oh sweet voice of such delight,
Take it quickly, Love;
Print it on my heart.
Breathe only for her, my soul.
“I love you my life,” that you should be my life.

21. Amor ch’attendi

Why do you delay, Love?
Why have you not readied your darts?
Vengeance, Love!
Pierce that heart that haughtily denies your hegemony.

O pomp, o glory, o spoils!
'Twill be a noble victory if love wounds her.
Should love burn and batter,
Which — Love or Hate — will get the glory?

If it cruelly denied mercy before,
Now it humbly asks mercy.
O fiery dart,
Who can escape your firing their ice?

From heaven on high Jupiter hurls thunderbolts,
The archer of Delos rains down arrows.
But let the golden arrow that surpasses all in strength
Be crowned with laurel.

22. Sì sì ch’io v’amo

Yes yes I love you,
Fair beautiful eyes.
Yes yes I long for
Your binding tresses of golden hair.
I have no other wish
But that my heart be yours as it is mine.

Yes yes how you burn,
Happy dear eyes,
Yes yes you are founts of love,
More bright than the sun
And I have no other wish
But that my heart be yours as it is mine.

23. Amore è bandito

Love is banished!
Lovers, up, up.
An edict has been made,
That love will be no more.

Once love is banished
And vanquished,
Oh, oh, we want to hear
No more of torments and grudges.
The case is closed,
Love is banished!

Illusions for the brain,
And jealousy for the heart,
Passions and madness
Are hidden away,
The case is closed,
Love is banished!

Hope and desire,
Complaints and sighs,
Sobs and torments,
Are being dispersed.
The case is closed,
Love is banished!

24. Come dolce hoggi l’auretta

How sweet the breeze today,
How soft its balmy breath,
How wantonly it kisses
Kisses my cheeks and breast.

‘Tis Cupids cause the breeze
When they soar in flight
On outspread wings from heaven
To lift the veil of night.

The forest smiles, the meadow shines,
The fountain plays, the waves rejoice
At the first faint stirring
Of a cool, refreshing breeze.

When you come, o balmy breeze,
May our hearts, too, be filled
With that sweet delight that you
In every soul distill.

ECHOES Album Notes pdf