Search - Gregorian Chant, Anonymous, Guiot de Dijon :: Jerusalem: Vision of Peace

Gothic Voices fans will own this disc--one of the group's most impressive efforts--as a matter of course. But this is also a disc for anyone who is curious about the general category of early vocal music or who wants to experience a uniquely expressive and colorful repertoire that few singers can deliver with this high degree of stylistic integrity and vocal virtuosity. The repertoire here, sung primarily by different configurations of the five male singers, consists of "songs and plainchants ... connected in various ways with the crusades" during the period from 1180 to 1240. The title "Jerusalem--Vision of Peace" refers to the significance of that ancient city to the crusaders and to the fact that the city's name was believed by medieval writers to mean "vision of peace." Several of the selections refer to Jerusalem in their texts; one, entitled "O Jerusalem," is by Hildegard of Bingen, and is performed solo by alto Catherine King. --David Vernier