Back in the day — way back in the ninth century — a Swiss monk by the name of Notker had a problem. Well, two problems. One was a speech impediment that earned him the nickname “Balbulus,” or, “The Stammerer.”
The second, bigger problem was that he simply could not memorize the chants that were a part of daily life in the monastery. Alleluias were especially difficult because the cantors dragged out the final syllable for a long, long time to represent the joy they found in worship. There would be strings and strings of notes on that one syllable, and poor Notker could not keep track of them all.
Notker’s world opened up, though, when a priest from Jumièges visited his monastery. The priest had brought with him an antiphoner (book of chants) which had added lyrics to these lengthy passages, and Notker realized they made the tune easier to remember. In concept, he loved it; in practice, though, he found the poetry unimpressive. So he decided to write his own version: the “Liber ymnorum.”
This hymnal is available in a new recording by Schola Antiqua of Chicago under the direction of Michael Alan Anderson, a professor and chair of the department of musicology at the Eastman School of Music.
Listening to this album feels like a bit of historical escapism; I am taken back to a time and place that seems much simpler, if only because Notker and company aren’t here to describe the state of their own world. The free-flowing vocal solos invite me to take a moment to breathe.
I am no Latin scholar, but I am told that Notker’s poetry is quite refined and influential — and whether or not I understand, it feels good sometimes to bask in music few of us ever take a moment to enjoy.
Steve Johnson is midday host and announcer for WXXI Classical 91.5 FM.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
