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Stella Maris Trio Mediaeval Ecm Records CD#: B000AGK7HU The Trio Mediaeval, comprised of Scandinavian artists Anna Maria Friman, Linn Fuglseth, and Torun Ossum, continues its tradition of innovative medieval music-making in their third recording Stella Maris. The album includes ethereal renditions performed a capella, sublime polyphonic voices, and luminous recordings of English and French pieces from the 13th and 14th centuries, from Latin religious poetry to tender lullabies. The album's last pieces form a 25-minute Mass by contemporary Korean composer Sungji Hong. Performed by the trio with breathtaking beauty, the modern composition emulates, with astounding grace, medieval polyphony, and early renaissance innovations. Titled "Missa Lumen de Lumine," Hong does a good job of integrating adventurous and jubilant sounds into the Mass' generally meditative mood. Other chants, such as the title track "O' Maria, Stella Maris," is a monophonic ode to the Virgin May that is performed with the cool perfection worthy of a virtuoso. In contrast, "Duo Way Robin" is a lullaby sung in both Latin and Old English. The Trio Mediaeval has a longstanding reputation for authenticity, and this album contributes to this tradition. The inclusion of neomedieval compositions by contemporary artists expands the group's reach to younger audiences. Judging by the mixed crowd that fill its live concerts, The Trio Mediaeval may soon achieve a success that may outreach the iconic-and recently disbanded---Early Music quartet Anonymous 4. --T. Mercadal-Sabbagh

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