Tapestry

Review: Coming from diverse musical backgrounds, the 4 beautiful young women of Boston-based Tapestry came together to create new interpretations of mediaeval chant and polyphony, and to collaborate with contemporary composers in the creation of new works. 14 pieces, over half of them lovely, soaring chants by composer Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), like 'O lucidissima,' 'O cruor sanguinis,' 'O tu illustrata,' and 'O viridissima virga.' Interspersed are sacred works from the 13th century, like 'Novi sideris Lumen respenduit,' 'Deus misertus hominis' and 'Flos ut Rosa floruit.'

Songlist: O lucidissima , Novi sideris Lumen respenduit , O cruor sanguinis , Deus misertus hominis , O tu illustrata , Flos ut rosa floruit, O viridissima virga , Song to the Creator (O verbum Patris), Song of the Virgin to her Son (O fili dilectissime), Song of the Virgin (O Magna res), Nunc gaudeant, O eterne deus , Ave Maris stella , O nobilissima viriditas

Review: Subtitled 'Tales of Remarkable Women Throughout the Centuries ' this tribute to the fairer sex features an Irish lady pirate, a Portuguese queen, a Montenegrin mother, a French countess, a Jewish-American socialist, the Virgin Mary, and St. Ursula together with 11,000 other virgins are all featured on Faces of a Woman by Tapestry, the fourth release by these three talented women from New England. The ensemble covers broad musical territory ranging from Hildegard von Bingen's mystical and contemplative songs to Rachmaninoff 's pleasing 'Tebye poyem' and to swinging rhythms, from medieval operatic drama to Balkan folklore and to modern music, from the artistry of the ars novato sailors' songs and to the first American blues.

Songlist: Lyulyala, lyulyala, A Window for Her Eyes, Non Sei Come Me Salv'a, Rainha Santa Isabel, A Chantar, Tebye poyem, Slova: Anna Akhmatova and Orthodox liturgy, Sugubaya i Posleduyuschiya Ekteniya, Nada te Turbe, Veni Creator Spiritus, Quia ergo Femina, Spiritui Sancto, Oro 'Se Do Bheatha' Bhaile, Careless Love, Love as a Child, If You Love me

Review: The four lovely young women of Boston-based Tapestry return with eight soaring chants by composer Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) and nine by contemporary composer Patricia Van Ness, from the group entitled 'The Nine Orders of the Angels.' We particularly liked 'O Frondens Virga' and 'O Euchari, Columba' by von Bingen, and 'Sum Aneal ex Septimi Chori,' 'Raphael sum Virtutum,' 'Angelus sum Thronorum' by Van Ness. The voices of these women are amazing, the material stunning and is a work of tremendous depth and beauty. Another powerful winner by the women of Tapestry!

Songlist: O Frondens Virga, Karitas Habundat, The Nine Orders of the Angels, Nos sumus Custodes Angeli, Archangelus, Sum Anael ex Septimi Chori, Angeli Potestatis, Raphael sum Virtutum, Dominationes, Angelus sum Thronorum, Angeli ab lacrimis Michaelis, Michael sum Seraphim, O Euchari, Columba (Hildegard von Bingen), In Matutinis Laudibus (Hildegard von Bingen):, - Studium Divinitatis, - Unde Quocumque, - De Patria, - Et Ideo Puelle, Columba Aspexit, O Gloriosa

Review: The Song of Songs is one of the more popular sections of the Bible to set. These often very sensual texts are the basis for this recording which includes music by Ivan Moody, Shira Kammen and Hildegard von Bingen, Medieval Hebrew cantillations, Latin chants and Sephardic instrumentals. The cantillations, sung by Daniela Tosic, separate the other songs and occasionally introduce other pieces with the same text. The group, led by Laurie Monahan, all has clear voices which blend beautifully together. Many of the pieces are accompanied by the exceptional vielle and harp playing of Shira Kammen. This recording is a wonderful intermingling of the ancient and modern.

Songlist: Canticum Canticorum: (Three Motets from the Song of Songs), I. Surge, propera amica mea, II. Descendi in hortum meum, III. Ego dilecto meo, Yo m'asento en mi ventana , Rex Solomon (Worcester Antiphonaire, 13th c.), Hebrew Cantillation , Awake, North Wind, Hebrew Cantillation, Shir Hashirim , Hebrew Cantillation, O Ecclesia , Hebrew Cantillation , Dodi Li , Osculetur me (St. Martial Repertory, 12th c.), Hebrew Cantillation, Dilectus Meus, Hebrew Cantillation , Una Matica de Ruda , Set Me as a Seal Upon Thy Heart