Studio tracking is done and we're on to mixing and editing this collection of medieval and ancient music selections illustrating scenes, characters, and themes from Geoffrey Chaucer's classic work, written ca. 1390.
SEE THE FULL TRACK LIST AND MANUSCRIPT SOURCES
The listener encounters, among others:
- a scholar, Nicholas, wooing his landlord's wife with angelic song
- the pious schoolboy tragically murdered in the Prioress' Tale
- the devil in disguise, savagely deceiving a pilgrim out of his own life, from the Friar's Tale
- Perkyn, the dissolute apprentice from the Cook's Tale, who is fond of dancing
- the corrupt Pardoner, selling fake forgiveness
- Chanticleer the Rooster
- Geoffrey Chaucer himself
and is transported to such settings as:
- a shipwreck at the coastal village of Penmarc'h, Brittany
- the grisly martyrdom of St. Cecilia in Rome
- the battle for a princess' hand in ancient Athens
- The Tabard Inn, the actual tavern where the fictional pilgrims gather
Join us as we render the tales in the language of music from:
- The Robertsbridge Codex
- John Cooke
- John Dunstable
- Soulage ("Jean Soulage")
- Le Chansonnier du Roi
- 4th-century Syriac liturgy
- the Harley Manuscript
and much more. Join the email list for updates and the album release announcement!
SEE THE FULL TRACK LIST AND MANUSCRIPT SOURCES
The listener encounters, among others:
- a scholar, Nicholas, wooing his landlord's wife with angelic song
- the pious schoolboy tragically murdered in the Prioress' Tale
- the devil in disguise, savagely deceiving a pilgrim out of his own life, from the Friar's Tale
- Perkyn, the dissolute apprentice from the Cook's Tale, who is fond of dancing
- the corrupt Pardoner, selling fake forgiveness
- Chanticleer the Rooster
- Geoffrey Chaucer himself
and is transported to such settings as:
- a shipwreck at the coastal village of Penmarc'h, Brittany
- the grisly martyrdom of St. Cecilia in Rome
- the battle for a princess' hand in ancient Athens
- The Tabard Inn, the actual tavern where the fictional pilgrims gather
Join us as we render the tales in the language of music from:
- The Robertsbridge Codex
- John Cooke
- John Dunstable
- Soulage ("Jean Soulage")
- Le Chansonnier du Roi
- 4th-century Syriac liturgy
- the Harley Manuscript
and much more. Join the email list for updates and the album release announcement!
Meet Ensemble Benedictus:
Compared to the average 21st-century urban American, we spend a good amount of time in the 14th century.
TINA CHANCEY (producer, vielle, rebec, kamenj, percussion, arranger) is director of HESPERUS. She plays medieval bowed strings, violas da gamba, pardessus de viola and renaissance, Old Time and Irish fiddle on roots music from Sephardic and Irish to medieval and jazz standards. Her particular specialty is the five-stringed pardessus de viole; she has presented solo recitals at Carnegie Recital Hall and Kennedy Center, and released five pardessus recordings. A member of the Chancey-Boekhoorn Duo, Trio Pardessus, Trio Sefardi, the contradance band Are We There Yet?, the women’s collective Passio, and HESPImprov, she is a former member of the Folger Consort, the Ensemble for Early Music and Blackmore’s Night. Artist residencies have taken her to Australia, Turkey, France, Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand and Hong Kong, and she has presented workshops for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Resident Associates. She teaches, performs, records, improvises, produces recordings, writes articles and directs the SoundCatcher workshops teaching musicians how to play by ear. Dr. Chancey has been given an Special Education Achievement Award by Early Music America and four Wammies for best classical instrumentalist by the Washington Area Music Association. www.tinachancey.com
Elisabeth Ellison (vielle, percussion, arranger) holds a graduate Certificate in Medieval Music Performance Practice and is the originator of this album project. Additional biographical info HERE
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Al Cofrin (lute, oud, citole, shawm, crumhorn, arranger) is the founder and leader of the medieval-music ensemble Istanpitta. He holds a MM in musicology from the Shepherd School of Music and has published three volumes of performance editions, as well as numerous albums.
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Martha Gay (harp) studied archaeology at Oxford University, then elected to go into music performance, and is the founder (1980) and leader of the Renaissance/crossover ensemble Cantiga, which brings early music to live audiences of hundreds of thousands annually, and has released 9 albums. A firsthand pilgrim, she has walked the Camino de Santiago with her harp, playing in the medieval churches along the route.
Stephanie Gudeman (recorders, shawm) studied early music extensively with Dr James Paul in Seattle, co founder of the Conservatory of Music and the Academy of Music Northwest earning her degree in Early Music performance. She also studied at San Diego City and State Colleges. She taught early music briefly at the Living History Center and studied with Thomas Axworthy of the Southern California Early Music Consort. Stephanie plays 20 instruments professionally, specializing in early double-reeds, woodwinds and voice. Stephanie also plays steelpan drum with the popular group Salsa Steel Drum Band. She has been featured on over 75 recording projects and films. She is currently touring 7 months out of the year performing for fairs and festivals across the Pacific Northwest, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Cayla Cardiff, Mezzo-Soprano
Cayla started singing and poking at the piano at age two, and has been singing and poking at piano keys ever since. She earned some music degrees at UT Austin and then taught music while singing at several churches in the area including University Presbyterian, the Church at Highland Park, St. Louis King of France Catholic Church in Austin, St. Mary Catholic Church in Taylor, and is currently at Saint Mary Catholic Cathedral in Austin. After being taken in by Danny Johnson (Texas Early Music Project) she began to focus on early music, and since has performed with the Texas Early Music Project, Istanpitta, Panoramic Voices, Inversion, La Follia, Austin Cantorum, and Tinsel. Cayla lives in Taylor where she dabbles in home improvement, civic duty, gardening, and spoiling her two wiener dogs Iggy and Ollie.
Cayla started singing and poking at the piano at age two, and has been singing and poking at piano keys ever since. She earned some music degrees at UT Austin and then taught music while singing at several churches in the area including University Presbyterian, the Church at Highland Park, St. Louis King of France Catholic Church in Austin, St. Mary Catholic Church in Taylor, and is currently at Saint Mary Catholic Cathedral in Austin. After being taken in by Danny Johnson (Texas Early Music Project) she began to focus on early music, and since has performed with the Texas Early Music Project, Istanpitta, Panoramic Voices, Inversion, La Follia, Austin Cantorum, and Tinsel. Cayla lives in Taylor where she dabbles in home improvement, civic duty, gardening, and spoiling her two wiener dogs Iggy and Ollie.
Paul Ellison, double bass
Double bassist and pedagogue Paul Ellison has been teaching at Rice University in Houston, Texas USA since 1974 and is the Lynette B. Autry Professor of Double Bass at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, where he also serves as co-chair of the string department. He is a regular Guest Lecturer at the Royal College of Music and the Yehudi Menuhin School, a former Principal Double Bass of the Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera, former professor and string department chair of the USC Thornton School of Music, former faculty of The Colburn School in Los Angeles, California, and a past president of the International Society of Bassists. Paul is married to double bassist Elisabeth Ellison.
Double bassist and pedagogue Paul Ellison has been teaching at Rice University in Houston, Texas USA since 1974 and is the Lynette B. Autry Professor of Double Bass at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, where he also serves as co-chair of the string department. He is a regular Guest Lecturer at the Royal College of Music and the Yehudi Menuhin School, a former Principal Double Bass of the Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera, former professor and string department chair of the USC Thornton School of Music, former faculty of The Colburn School in Los Angeles, California, and a past president of the International Society of Bassists. Paul is married to double bassist Elisabeth Ellison.
Maxwell Magallón, soprano
Maxwell is a 6th-grade student at Wharton Dual-Language Academy. He began his musical journey at the age of 6 by following his older brother’s path into the Houston Boychoir, where he quickly developed a passion for choral music and had the opportunity to perform solos while touring around the city and across the country. Maxwell has also performed with the Houston Grand Opera, joining the children's chorus in the 2022 production of Turandot and the 2025 production of La bohème. Additionally, he performed with Opera in the Heights in their 2024 production of La bohème. Outside of singing, Maxwell enjoys playing the cello, piano, and, of course, video games.
Maxwell is a 6th-grade student at Wharton Dual-Language Academy. He began his musical journey at the age of 6 by following his older brother’s path into the Houston Boychoir, where he quickly developed a passion for choral music and had the opportunity to perform solos while touring around the city and across the country. Maxwell has also performed with the Houston Grand Opera, joining the children's chorus in the 2022 production of Turandot and the 2025 production of La bohème. Additionally, he performed with Opera in the Heights in their 2024 production of La bohème. Outside of singing, Maxwell enjoys playing the cello, piano, and, of course, video games.