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RECORDINGS
". . they are a remarkably talented ensemble who with every recording manage to surprise the listener with wit and imagination . . The Dufay Collective are incapable of producing anything less than outstanding recordings."
A L'Estampida: medieval dance music
Available direct from group
The group's first cd, recorded back in 1991 and still popular with our audience. The recording is shortly to be re-released on the Avie label to mark the 15th anniversary of the band(!). The content is a mixture of instrumental pieces from French, Italian and English sources and the idea was to represent the full sound world of the medieval minstrel, from gentle flute and harp to blasting shawms, trumpet and percussion. That idea has been the m.o. for all subsequent medieval recordings the group has made.
Reviews:
'This is no dull exercise in recreating the past for the past's sake: these dances will set feet tapping, arms moving and even hips swaying.'
'This is an extremely well conceived production and the variety of the repertoire is matched by the imaginative nature of the realisations'
A Dance in the Garden of Mirth: medieval instrumental music Chandos CHAN9320
A second volume of dance music, and our first for Chandos, although we recorded it independently in 1994. The repertoire is from the same sources as the 'A l'Estampida' cd and contains familiar material to anyone with a knowledge of this period. We also reconstructed fragments of dances, such as the incomplete Prime Estampie Real and the keyboard estampie from the Robertsbridge Fragment.
Reviews:
'This disc contains some of the most infectious dance music one could wish to hear...this is a superb disc'
'One of the most interesting early music groups working today...High energy, and highly enjoyable'
Miri It Is: songs and instrumental music from medieval England Chandos CHAN9396
Released in 1995, and our first recording at the beautiful church if St Bartholemews in Orford, Suffolk. The atmosphere was just right for the repertoire, and the weather depressingly apt for the sentiments of the eponymous song 'Miri it is while sumer ilast' which bemoans the stormy and cold life of the poet! Well received and a pleasure to work with John Potter, the vocal soloist. So little secular English music survives from this period that we included some pieces from the 'Worcester Fragments' and composed instrumental items based on original vocal models, as would probably have been the practise in the Middle Ages. The recording of the Song of the Flood - Omnis caro peccaverat is the first of this remarkable song from the Dublin MS.
- Hear a sample from the track Miri it is: [Stream] [Download]
- Hear a sample from the track English Dance: [Stream] [Download]
Reviews:
'This is an individual and highly enjoyable compilation'
"I don't know if they are just showing off, but the Dufay Collective can, on the evidence of this disc, sing as well as they play. . . there seems to be an almost infinite variety of colours . . . This is simple but intense and emotionally charged music, a treasure trove of our musical ancestry."
Johnny, Cock thy Beaver: popular music-making in 17th century England Chandos CHAN9446
Chandos really didn't want to let this one out with the title we wanted. I can't think why! It refers to the type of hat popular in 17th century England made of beaver fur. To 'cock' a hat was to ask for money. That's our story and we're sticking to it. The recording contrasts domestic music-making in the private parlours of the well-to-do with that which would have been heard in taverns and gathering s of the lower classes. Consorts of viols, harpsichord solos and consort songs dominate the genteel music, whilst ballads of love and discontent and dances from Playfords 'Dancing Master' reflect the world of street and communal music.
Reviews:
'A collection of music which, whilst it's clearly from another time, feels fresh and vibrant, with real energy and novelty behind it - unlike so many collections of early music'
"The Dufay Collective have assembled a rich and varied collection of items, played and sung with patent enthusiasm and considerable skill . . . the variety of the music and of the sounds made possible by the battery of instruments used prevents the ear from settling into any kind of rut."
On the Banks of the Seine: music of the trouvères Chandos CHAN9544
The first recording with Vivien Ellis, our regular vocalist. The repertoire concentrates on life within the city walls of medieval Paris, featuring songs of the trouvéres, the French exponents of the troubadour art. There's a good deal of vocal music on this cd, featuring Vivien's solo voice and also the trio of male voices from within the band singing polyphonic motets by Adam de la Halle and others. Instrumental music includes new settings of the Estampies Reales, and more self-generated dances based on vocal models.
Review:
'On the banks of the Seine faithfully recreates music from this time...all the numbers have an elegant simplicity and groovy melodies which you may find yourself humming'
Miracles: 13th century Spanish songs in Praise of the Virgin Mary Chandos CHAN9513
What turned out to be our swansong for Chandos this is a first recording of a repertoire we love, the Cantigas de Santa Maria from the 13th century court of Alfonso the Learned of Castille and Léon. Using reconstructed instruments based on the miniatures in the Cantigas manuscript we moved closer to what we feel is close to the sound world of Iberian musicians in the 13th century. The music is treated with a great deal of ensemble improvising, and a close reference to relevant unbroken traditions, in particular Andalusian style of Moroccan music. The synthesis between East and West is perhaps most obvious in this music.
The cover design by our very own Peter Skuce is a work of [kitsch] art in itself. Check it out - Chandos may well stop producing these covers soon.
Review:
'Their musicality, skill and commitment to the performances is truly splendid' Inkpot
Cancionero - Music for the Spanish Court 1470-1520 Avie AV0005
Now nominated for a GRAMMY and winner of a CMA/WQXR Record Award, this disc had a long and difficult birth. After departing from Chandos we made this recording out of contract, and after considerable delay, finally decided to release it with the new 'artist led' company Avie, in April 2002.
The repertoire spans the end of the 15th and the early 16th century in what was Spain's golden age. The music comes from two main sources - the Cancionero Palacio containing songs and instrumental music from the court of Ferdinand and Isabella; and the manuscript Montecassino 871, associated with the Spanish court in Naples. On this recording we had several guest players and for the first time featured the successful combination of John Potter and Vivien Ellis.
GRAMMY NOMINATED
Winner of the CMA/WQXR Record Awards
CRITICS CHOICE – Chosen as a Gramophone Magazine
DISC OF THE YEAR
Review:
'...highly attractive... Quite irresistible.'
'Easily surpasses the competition.'
'It is surely one of the best anthologies of this repertory to have appeared on CD...be sure to add this one to your collection...Superb.'
'Performed with grace and joy...a delightful recording.'
'I hope that cover's only temporary. It looks more like a Karate instruction manual.'
Music for ALFONSO the Wise HMU 907390
This recording, our first for Harmonia Mundi USA, features a wealth of music from 13th century Spain. The focus is on songs and dances that may well have been heard at the Court of Alfonso X 'El Sabio' (The Learned), King of Castile and León from 1252 to 1284. A particular highlight of the disc is the sequence of seven Cantigas de Amigo by the Galician trobadour Martin Codax. The songs track the sequence of emotions experienced by a woman awaiting the return of her lover from the sea. Her feelings shift from the pain of separation to the joy of being in love, finally to the realisation that her loss is complete and that he will never return.
Reviews:
"This disc, which is recorded in ideal sound, is among the best, and because of its unique musical approach to these troubadour songs becomes an essential acquisition for all serious early-music fans who want to wander over to the secular side of Alfonso's fascinating world. 10/10"
"Never satisfied to perform scholarly transcriptions of old music on rebuilt instruments, Dufay Collective literally “jam” on the music, bringing out the essence of a working thirteenth century musician’s routines... Music for Alfonso the Wise is a “five-star” effort all the way around and back."
"Hugely worthwhile."
"An early-music must."
"This cycle is fascinating music, beautifully realized. The Dufay Collective fully lives up to their advance billing. This is a marvelous recording, displaying genuine sensitivity to the material and the highest caliber of musicianship. It is familiar, exotic, absorbing and sometimes tremendously affecting."
"Since 1987, this early music ensemble has brought a unique perspective to medieval and renaissance music. I've heard other collections of the "Cantigas", but never one that brought so much life to the music. For a refreshing take on this venerable music, picking up a copy of MUSIC FOR ALFONSO THE WISE is a smart choice."
A L'Estampida - 15¾th Anniversary Edition
Due to continuing demand for this, our first ever release, we have decided to re-release it on the Avie label, as a souvenir to mark the fifteen (and three-quarterth!) anniversary of the group. Complete with a potted history of the band and its chequered career, you should find it either given away with any purchase of Cancionero, or sold at mid-price.
Reviews:
"This disc is a smile a minute. Delights abound in this fantastic trip through the late medieval and early renaissance. Superb ensemble playing from this fine group."
