Trio Mediaeval

Aquilonis

ECM Records 2416

We’re enjoying the holidays abetted by Aquilonis, the latest ECM recording by vocal group Trio Mediaeval. The disc contains several carols from 15th Century England and Scandinavian folksongs. Its varied program also encompasses 12th Century lauds from Italy contrasted by pieces from Iceland: excerpts of the Office of St. Thorlak.There is also a substantial amount of contemporary fare, including imaginative miniatures written by members of the trio. There are  lushly beautiful offerings by Andrew Smith, a composer who has written several pieces for the group. Ama, by  Anders Jormin, intersperses delightfully crunchy cluster chords with chanted solo lines. William Brooks’s Vale Dulcis Amice closes the album with gentle, serenely eloquent chordal writing.