TEMPORARILY OUT OF PRINT

New from Flowinglass Music and Brocelïande!

Songs of May and Spring Celebrations

Joyous collection of music traditionally performed during or inspired by the Spring Season. Performed by Celtic/Medieval band Brocelïande.

Lovely instrumental and vocal arrangements for Celtic harp, cello, guitar, octave mandolin, voices, oboe, English horn, flute, melodeon, recorders, whistles and drums. Brocelïande is: Margaret Davis, Karl Franzen, Kristoph Klover, and Kris Yenney.

"Welcome, Spring!" proclaims the insert, and on this disc, Broceliande celebrates that season. Gathering May is the second in a series of seasonal recordings; seasonal in this case referring to the four seasons of the year. Sir Christemas was recorded for Winter, and releases for Summer and Autumn are pending. I had no idea that there were so many songs about May, Spring, robins, and the like. The music ranges from madrigals to Irish songs to English Morris songs. I don't see the Spring connection with a couple of the songs, but they're good songs all the same, so I suppose it doesn't matter.

On this CD, the group's vocal talents shine. The madrigals are particularly beautiful, with sweet, balanced harmonies. (Listen carefully for Karl Franzen's bass voice anchoring "A Robyn, Gentil Robyn." Nice.) This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has heard their previous recordings. Another gem is the ballad "John Riley." Kris Yenney begins this one in a fairly traditional style, but gradually introduces jazz-flavored inflections, while in the background, Margaret Davis' flute can be heard getting jazzier as well. While the vocals seem to be featured, Broceliande's instrumental skills are not lacking, although somewhat understated. The blend on "Rossignolet du Bois" of cello, recorder, oboe and guitar is a rich one, one of my favorites on the recording.

The album's insert contains lyrics for the songs, plus translations for most of the songs not in English. The pages are decorated with graphics by Davis, Spring-y things like birds and flowers. Davis also graces the front cover; Broceliande is a quartet, and each member will represent a season (Kristoph Klover appears on the cover of Sir Christemas). As a bonus, the back page has a recipe for a traditional May Day punch that sounds appealing. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to get a bottle of white wine, and find some sprigs of sweet woodruff." --Green Man Review

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"Midsummer may seem an odd time to be reviewing Broceliande's Gathering May: Songs of the Season. The troupe of musical recreators makes it clear that this is a collection of songs to honor the spring, and that gentle season is several months away. Worse for me, this is also the long dry season between Scarborough Faire and the Texas Renaissance Festival, which means I and many faire fans like me are without our favorite diversion at the same time we are without a break in summer temperatures. But that's no reason to go without a troop of traveling minstrels or a breath of springtime air. Broceliande has made both available, through Gathering May to fill the mundane seasons of the year.

Gathering May is the second in Broceliande's series of seasonal carols from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. While their winter release, Sir Cristemas, fit in with the expected carols of the Yule season, listeners may be surprised by the intensity of the same form when applied to spring. These are carols, not pub songs, and it can be jarring to hear the solemn notes of "Dereen Day" announcing a season now associated with light-hearted frolic. The unexpectedly adult sound of the album, with its occasional note of reverent awe, serves as a reminder that the turning of the seasons was once very serious business, and that not only Christmas was seen as worthy of honor for its time. But such a hopeful season inspires bright cheer in any ear, and the playfulness of "It was a Lover & His Lass" or "The Helston Furry" will bring the smell of fresh earth and early flowers to the driest summer or the coldest winter.

This is not an Anglocentric album. Fans of French music will take delight in "La Rouse du Moy de May," the sad story of a green coat, and the bright "A l'Entrade del Tens Clar." Spanish and Italian tunes represent warmer climes with moving tunes like "Salterello." History and culture buffs can judge for themselves the different attitudes shown in the Scots song "Tha Mi Sgeth" contrasted against the other sometimes parts of the British Empire, as England and Ireland both find themselves well represented. Though most of the album is taken by a cappella songs suitable for impromptu picnic sing-alongs, there are some intimidatingly complex ensemble pieces, with handfuls of singers and instruments layering their skills to produce a sound to please a king. The variety is sure to please Renfest refugees of any type, and could well intrigue even the least historically minded into giving hymns a hearing beyond the Christmas season.

Even as pretty a time as May is often most appreciated when it's passed for the year. And while wandering musicians of Broceliande's skill can achieve acclaim on their schedule, they're hard to find on short notice and expensive to hire for private performances. With Gathering May: Songs of the Season, Broceliande has kindly made the sounds of both season and players available for when they're most wanted." --Rambles.net, September 2004