Veni Redemptor Gencium [CD]

Christmas has long been one of my favorite times of the year. The excitement, joy, and hopeful anticipation that stem from both the traditional and commercialized components of the season are feelings I never tire of. And, in most ways this album, Veni Redemptor Gentium, is a musical celebration of what Christmas was and has become. For many, however, the holidays are a complicated time filled with traditions that have the potential to both inspire and distemper. A sentiment of peace and goodwill-the supposed promise of the season-is shared by many during this time of year, and we see it reflected in an unusual sense of calm and random acts of kindness. Yet, for every such moment we also see examples of harshness and aggression, especially when we zoom outwards to view the world on a larger scale. Centuries of ill-will in the name of religion and politics trickle down to us through generations of learned and inherited bias, and politico-religious conflict remains problematic on a global scale, despite the annual holiday promises of an end to such suffering. The medievalist interested in showcasing the beautiful music composed for the Christmas holiday is hard-pressed to find song texts from the Middle Ages that do not at least glimpse this harshness, whether it be anti-Semitic rhetoric or judgmental accusation, a de/re/mis-contextualized or misappropriated quotation spun against a community of people, or an oppressive governing body working to quiet the voices of some while elevating others for it's own self-interests. Indeed, it can be disheartening to turn back these centuries and dive into difficult texts and repertoire with complicated contexts for a season whose meaning is joyous. These are shadows of the past that hold a mirror to our present.