Proprius Asu: CD-levy Vuosi: 2011, 21.03.2011 Kieli: Latina
"We recorded this cd in October 2010 in Naantali's Bridgettine Church, which was built in the Middle ages as part of the valley of Grace convent. Outside a storm was raging which, variously, sighed, blustered, howled, wailed and clattered. We could not do anything about it, so we accepted it as part of the recording process. Our recording engineer Mika Koivusalo had four things to record: two singers, Naantali Church and the autumn wind of southwestern Finland.
Inside, the church was warm and bright. As the recording progressed, the profundity and darkness of lent gave way to the happiness of easter. For both of us, as singers, the pieces on this disc represent a personal journey from darkness into light. The songs depict the extremes of emotion: despair as well as incredulous exaltation. During rehearsals we discussed the songs' texts and moods in great depth. now we are happy that listeners to this recording can accompany us on our journey.
The majority of the chants are from a mediæval liturgy of the Bridgettine sisters, Cantus sororum, material of which we are extremely fond. The sisters' songs are 2, 5, 6, 7, 13 and 16. The source of chants nos 1, 8, 9, 10 and 14 is Antifonarium Tammelense, a songbook that was probably used by the Birgittine brothers in Naantali. Chant no. 3 is from the Graduale Ilmolense whilst nos 4 and 17 are from the Graduale Aboense. no. 15 is one of today's songs of the Bridgettine sisters. Nos 11 and 12 are traditional mediæval songs, and both come from the same source, the Graduale Triplex. Song no. 18 is from the book Liber hymnarius. The transcriptions of the songs from the manuscripts were prepared by one of the singers in Vox Silentii, Hilkka-Liisa Vuori (M. Mus.). some of the songs come from published books.
A whisper goes through the entire record: Remember Me, Memento mei. in our everyday lives, a longing for heaven is never far away. With these songs we wish to convey the joy and solace of easter, the promise of resurrection every single day.
Lumen verum represents the beautiful bridgettine prayer poems. Agnus Dei, or 'the lamb of God', a eucharistic prayer, is a specific type of text associated with Maundy Thursday. In Deus meus both the shape of the melody and Jesus' words are anguished. In the song In manus tuas Domine, after the pain, the moment of death is calm. Jesu benigne is a song of yearning beside the cross of Jesus. In pace Patris is a surprising prayer: its melodic shape is very close to the world of lullabies.
Jesus' resurrection is depicted in the tiny song Alleluia. In our view, it is like a sunrise and the dawn of the day. This is followed by the large-scale responsory Dum transisset, in which the mood is of confusion: Christ is risen, but the women do not know it. after this, the music changes dramatically: the women's wistful song in the d mode yields to a powerful antiphon in the G mode: Angelus autem Domini."
