Episode 28 - 2023 Holiday Renaissance Episode

Bonjour! Welcome to Coffee Talk with King Francois I! I am your host, Theodore Jander. 

I am excited to bring to all listeners, episode twenty-eight, which is the 2023 Holiday Renaissance Episode where we will discover more delightful sounds of the Greenleaf Singers, an exciting St. Louis based vocal ensemble specializing in a cappella music of the Renaissance. The ensemble’s main performances each year are at the St. Louis Renaissance Festival, mid-September through early October, and the Eliot Chapel Renaissance Madrigal and Christmas Rout in Kirkwood, Missouri. In addition, the group presents a Christmas concert the second Friday in December as well as a spring performance.

Where to find more about the Greenleaf Singers:

• Website - https://greenleafsingers.org/
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/greenleafsingers/

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• Masters in this hall - arr. Leland Forsblad

We began with Masters in this hall, a piece Greenleaf performed as the processional. The next two selections were sung during the presentation of the Wassail and the bringing in of the boar’s head.

• Gloucestershire Wassail - English Carol; arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams
• The Boar’s Head Carol - Anonymous 15th century carol

The following six pieces are part of the group's madrigal repertoire, which they sang during the three nights of the 2023 Eliot Chapel Renaissance Madrigal and Christmas Rout:

• Sing we and chant it - Thomas Morley (1557-1602)
• This sweet and merry month - William Byrd (1539-1623)
• Eliza is the fairest Queen/Come again, sweet nature’s treasure - Edward Johnson (fl. 1572-1601)
• Hence stars, too dim of light - Michael East (1580-1648)
• Pastime with good company - attributed to Henry VIII (1491-1547)
• Stayin’ Alive - arr. Jonas Wolf

Up next are three Christmas-themed selections from the aforementioned performances:

• Good King Kong - P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742?)
• Carol of the Bells - arr. Peter Wilhousky
• Nova, Nova - Anonymous 15th century carol, arr. Judith Otten

Our final selection for this holiday episode, which was also included in last year’s Christmas installment, is lullay my liking. The text comes from the Sloane Manuscript 2593, a collection of medieval lyrics. The music was composed by yours truly, me, nine years ago for the women of the Greenleaf Singers. They premiered the piece in December of 2014. You will hear a rehearsal performance recording from eight years ago of the women of the Greenleaf Singers. Enjoy this concluding Christmas musical offering!

• lullay my liking - Theodore A. Jander (b.1972)

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If you are a performer, merchant, staff, or diehard patron in or of the Renaissance Festival world and would like to be featured on Coffee Talk with King Francois I, reach out to me by way of clicking on the following link: https://www.theodorejander.com/coffeetalkpodcast.

Podcast music, Coventry Carol, edited by Theodore Jander.

Found out more about your host, Theodore Jander, at:

• Website - Theodore Jander.com
• Instagram - theodore_jander
• Amazon - A Journey Begun Through Poetry and Inspirational Thoughts