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Daniel and the Feast of Fools

Donald Macleod and William Lyons look at how churches in the Middle Ages used theatre to press home their Christmas messages.

Donald Macleod investigates some unusual festive celebrations, popular in the Middle Ages.

This week, Donald Macleod marks the beginning of the season of Advent by exploring Christmas music and stories from the Middle Ages. Christmas celebrations encompassed a great variety of colourful traditions and musical occasions during medieval times. Peasants and nobles alike could look forward to many weeks of festivities, from Advent at the start of December, right through to Candlemas on 2nd February. Some of those customs we still recognise and celebrate today. Many are now lost or significantly altered. Donald is joined by early music expert, William Lyons, to examine how Christmas might have felt and sounded to our medieval ancestors.

Today, Donald and William look at how churches in the Middle Ages used theatre to press home their Christmas messages, plus they focus their attention on the much misunderstood church festival of the ‘Feast of Fools’.

Orientis partibus
Ensemble Obsidienne, directed by Emmanuel Bonnardot,

Orientis partibus
Ensemble Discantus, directed by Brigitte Lesne

The Play of Daniel (Ludus Danielis): Prelude & extracts from Part 1
The Dufay Collective, directed by William Lyons

Hec est Clara dies
Ensemble Obsidienne, directed by Emmanuel Bonnardot,

Procedenti puero
Ensemble Discantus, directed by Brigitte Lesne

±Êé°ù´Ç³Ù¾±²Ô: Salvatoris hodie
Diabolus In Musica

The Play of Daniel (Ludus Danielis): Extracts from Part 2
The Dufay Collective, directed by William Lyons

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Anon.

    Orientis Partibus

    Ensemble: Obsidienne. Director: Emmanuel Bonnardot.
    • Eloquentia EL1544.
    • Eloquentia.
    • 2.
  • Anon.

    Orientis Partibus

    Ensemble: Discantus. Director: Brigitte Lesne.
    • NAIVE : OP 30207.
    • NAIVE.
    • 20.
  • Anonymous

    The Play Of Daniel (excerpts)

    Ensemble: The Dufay Collective. Director: William Lyons.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI : HMU-907479.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 1.
  • Anon.

    Hec est Clara dies

    Ensemble: Obsidienne. Director: Emmanuel Bonnardot.
    • ELOQUENTIA : EL-1544.
    • ELOQUENTIA.
    • 3.
  • Anon.

    Procedenti puero

    Performer: Sinfonye. Music Arranger: Stevie Wishart. Director: Stevie Wishart.
    • HYPERION : NOEL-1.
    • HYPERION.
    • 3.
  • ±Êé°ù´Ç³Ù¾±²Ô

    Salvatoris hodie

    Ensemble: Diabolus in Musica.
    • STUDIO SM : 43241.
    • STUDIO SM.
    • 10.
  • Anonymous

    The Play Of Daniel (excerpts)

    Ensemble: The Dufay Collective. Director: William Lyons.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI : HMU-907479.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 20.

Broadcast

  • Tue 5 Dec 2023 12:00

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