Jerycho • The Art of Medieval Polyphony

The Art of Medieval Polyphony

Polyphony from the 11th century, 12th century Codex Calixtinus,

15th century Poland and the following 14th and 15th century

Motets from France, Italy and Bohemia 

Mater Dei/Mater Virgo pia/Eius

Ave Virgo regia/Ave gloriosa/Domino 

Ortorum virentium/Virga Iesse/Victimae 

Veni Virgo beatissima/Veni sancte Spiritus/Pneuma 

Alle psallite cum luya 

Unde gaudent/Eya Dei iherarchia/Nostra iocunda 

Christus surrexit vinctos/Chorus nove/Christus surrexit

Medieval Music in a Medieval Abbey

The Middle Ages were a time of birth and unprecedented development of polyphonic chant. Simple 2 part forms, derived from improvised oral practices, were quickly followed by organum - monumental, melismatic pieces characteristic of the solemn liturgy. Starting with the famous Codex Calixtinus, the 3 part pieces were notated. However, polyphonic singing became the hallmark of not only the solemn liturgy. The polytextual motet was one of the most interesting musical phenomenon, a form that had spread all over Europe reaching Central and Eastern Europe. In the late Middle Ages motets were influenced by folk singing and became more simple in structure, resulting in intelligible and very effective musical miniatures. By creating a new musical space around motets, tropes and sequences, Jerycho realizes the vision of a living singing tradition practiced until the 19th century. The ensemble made its debut in 2014 and since then has been active in Poland and throughout Europe. They have recorded several CDs including, in 2018, ‘Surgit Leo fortis’, which presented a vision of the practice of music-making of late medieval brotherhoods from Poland and the Czech Republic. Jerycho’s director, Bartosz Izbicki is a musicologist and organist who studied with Fr. prof. Jerzy Pikulik and Marcel Pérès. For over 20 years he has been exploring the Polish tradition of chant, liturgical monody and devotional song. In 2013, he founded the Jerycho ensemble, with which he realizes his vision of sacred music, rooted in tradition and at the same time attractive to the modern listener.