Mistletoe and Wine: A Seasonal Collection

• Artist: The Mediæval Bæbes
• Rating:
• Release Date: November 04, 2003
• Total Time: 48:55
• Type: Christmas
• Genre: Classical

Review

Nettwerk's offering for the 2003 holiday onslaught is from Great Britain's pagan/early music/sensualist ensemble the Mediæval Bæbes. Ex-Miranda Sex Garden leader Katharine Blake steers the group through 15 Latin, Welsh, Italian, French, and English -- as in Old English -- yuletide standards. All of the songs, except for "The Holly and the Ivy" and "Dulce Jubilo," are culled from previous releases. Besides the occasional flourish of flute, harp, drum, and lute, these lovely secular and non-secular songs are for the most part performed a cappella. Highlights include the lush "Coventry Carol" and a beautiful rendition of the Latin chant "Gaudete," made famous by English folk-rock pioneers Steeleye Span in 1972. This is not just an anthology of joyous festival music -- the babes can get downright spooky, especially on tracks like "Undrentide" -- it's an often somber examination of pre-Santa Claus holiday piety. The gorgeous closer, "Blow Northern Wind," erases some of that gloom, brings the wheel back around, and sets things right with its dreamy Enya-like lucidity. The production is crisp and clear, and the tracks are paced flawlessly, making Mistletoe and Wine: A Seasonal Collection a cut above the usual Christmas pap. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
The Holly and the Ivy (English)	Traditional	Mediæval Bæbes, Mediæval Babes	(3:08)
Gaudete (Swedish)	Traditional	Mediæval Babes, Mediæval Bæbes	(2:19)
L' amour de moy, chanson	Traditional	Mediæval Babes, Mediæval Bæbes	(3:37)
Salva Nos (13th cent.)	Traditional	Mediæval Bæbes, Mediæval Babes	(2:58)
Glass Window	Cylindra Sapphire	Mediæval Bæbes, Mediæval Babes	(2:38)
There Is No Rose of Swych Vertu	Katharine Blake	Mediæval Bæbes, Mediæval Babes	(2:41)
Kinderly, song	Katharine Blake	Mediæval Babes, Mediæval Bæbes	(1:54)
In dulci jubilo (Piæ Cantiones)	Traditional	Mediæval Babes, Mediæval Bæbes	(2:21)
Love Me Broughte, song	Katharine Blake	Mediæval Babes, Mediæval Bæbes	(3:02)
I Am Eve	Katharine Blake	Mediæval Bæbes, Mediæval Babes	(3:39)
Quan (Can) vei la lauzeta mover, motet	Bernart de Ventadorn	Mediæval Babes	(3:12)
Coventry Carol (2): "Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child"	Traditional	Mediæval Babes, Mediæval Bæbes	(4:26)
Undrentide	Katharine Blake	Mediæval Babes, Mediæval Bæbes	(4:48)
Ecce mundi guadium (Now Let the World Rejoice) (Anglo-Norman)		Mediæval Bæbes, Mediæval Babes	(1:56)
Blow Northern Wind	Katharine Blake	Mediæval Bæbes, Mediæval Babes	(6:16)

Credits

Dawn Atkinson (Producer), Sean Genockey (Engineer), Mediæval Babes (Arranger), Gavyn Wright (Musician), Alonza Bevan (Contribution), Katharine Blake (Violin), Audrey Evans (Musician), Nick Harris & The Soundbarriers (String Arrangements), Cylindra Sapphire (Musician), Ruth Galloway (Vocals), Rachel Van Asch (Vocals), Andy Nice (Musician), Ruth Galloway (Recorder), Katharine Blake (String Arrangements), Nick Marsh (Arranger), Nick Marsh (Musician), Toby Wood (Producer), Trevor Sharpe (Musician), Katharine Blake (Glockenspiel), Karen Lupton (Vocals), Ruth Galloway (Zither), Gini Ball (Violin), Nicole Frobusch (Vocals), Emily Ovenden (Vocals), Carmen Schneider (Vocals), Katharine Blake (Descant), Marie Findley (Vocals), David Lee Daniels (String Quartet), Gavyn Wright (String Quartet), Dorothy Carter (Hurdygurdy), Trevor Sharpe (Percussion Arrangement), Dorothy Carter (Zither), John Cale (Producer), Vince Johnson (Musician), Magic (Contribution), Nichole Sleet (Vocals), Katharine Blake (Recorder), Ruth Galloway (Arranger), Declan Colgan (Producer), Claire Ravel (Vocals), Trevor Sharpe (Percussion), Sophie Evans (Vocals), Cylindra Sapphire (Vocals), Cylindra Sapphire (Keyboards), Katharine Blake (Percussion Arrangement), Bruce White (Musician), Audrey Evans (Keyboards), Andy Nice (Cello), Katharine Blake (Musician), Teresa Casella (Vocals), Audrey Evans (Vocals), Katharine Blake (Harmonium), Bruce White (String Quartet), Ruth Galloway (Guitar (Acoustic)), Vince Johnson (Percussion), Ruth Galloway (Musician), Bob Kraushaar (Mixing), Dorothy Carter (Musician), Katharine Blake (Arranger), Toby Wood (Engineer), Ruth Galloway (Bass Programming), Declan Colgan (Engineer), Katharine Blake (Vocals), David Lee Daniels (Musician), Nóirín Ní Riain (Translation), Nick Marsh (Guitar (Acoustic)), Gini Ball (Musician), Katharine Blake (Hurdygurdy)