Miracles of Compostela

The Codex Calixtinus, a document housed at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, includes an odd assortment of writings relating to St. James the Greater -- sermons, lessons, miracle stories, guides to medieval pilgrimage routes, grammatical exercises for schools boys, and a wealth of chant, as well as some of the earliest examples of two- and three-part vocal polyphony. On this 1995 recording, Anonymous 4, the a cappella women's quartet, sings 21 intriguingly diverse selections from the collection, ranging from simple monophonic chant to astonishingly dissonant polyphony. The textural variety is one of the album's greatest charms; even within the same piece, the texture can beguilingly shift from one to three voices (since many of the chants and two-voice pieces use drones). The two-part responsory "Portum in ultimo," sung over a drone, is particularly haunting. Other pieces are so melodically eccentric and memorable that they should dispel any stereotypes about medieval music being boring and predictable, particularly the two Benedicamus tropes, "Ad superni regis decus" and "Gratulantes celebremus festum." Anonymous 4 sings with its customary blend of purity and expressiveness, with warmth and immaculate intonation, and it's a performance of great serenity. Harmonia Mundi's sound is ideally warm, clean, and resonant.