iuchair - Polyphony for St James from the Codex Calixtinus

Polyphony for St James from the Codex Calixtinus

An atmospheric programme of various 12th-century devotional polyphony from the Codex Calixtinus, an utterly unique source from Santiago de Compostela.  Some of the earliest polyphony ever notated, with striking sonorities and the distinict Moorish flavour of medieval Iberia.

Programme (all Anon. composers):

Congaudeant catholici
Dum esset
Nostra phalanx
Iacobe sancte tuum
Gratulantes celebremus
Huic Iacobo
Alleluia vocavit
Ad superni regis decus
Iacobe virginei
Portum in ultimo

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Founded in 2018 in Glasgow, iuchair brings the performance of early music to life by taking fresh approaches to medieval music, creating vivid, unique, and unforgettable performances unlike any other ensemble in Britain today. Praised for their refreshing and distinctive sound, iuchair challenge typical approaches to early music, starting from scratch in matters of pitch, tuning, and tempo, and bringing rarely-performed works to new and established audiences alike. 

The group’s unique performance practice is inspired by a wide range of vocal practices, from choral consort singing to contemporary folk practices. As such, iuchair consists of a core group of four (three tenors and one bass), and perform exclusively from in-house editions that are tailored to the group. 

Notable highlights include music from across medieval Europe, focusing particularly on seldom-performed repertories from the 12^th to 15^th centuries, including works by Pérotin, Petrus de Domarto, and Guillaume de Machaut, and performing in venues across the UK.  

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Edward Marshall, Ally Robertson, Joshua Stutter (tenors)
Zak McCullough (bass)

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Praise for iuchair:

"A revelation" ***** -- The Scotsman
"Strikingly immediate, modern and involving" -- Edinburgh Music Review
"Academic archaeology with new polyphony ... precision unison phrasing" **** -- The Herald