Image from the youtube video that I thought was cool.
This piece was introduced to me by a dear sorority sister who is majoring in early music. I loved my classes on early music, but I'm not as immersed in it as she is, so I'm glad for the suggestions!
Before I can get into the actual piece, I think it would be helpful to provide the lyrics.
Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera.
El lobo rabioso la quiso morder,
Mas Dios poderoso la supo defender;
Quisole hazer que no pudiesse pecar,
Ni aun original esta Virgen no tuviera.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Este qu'es nascido es el gran monarca,
Cristo patriarca de carne vestido;
Hanos redimido con se hazer chiquito,
Aunqu'era infinito, finito se hizera.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Muchas profecias lo han profetizado,
Y aun en nuestros dias lo hemos alcancado.
A Dios humanado vemos en el suelo
Y al hombre nel cielo porqu'er le quisiera.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Yo vi mil Garzones que andavan cantando,
Por aqui bolando, haciendo mil sones,
Diziendo a gascones Gloria sea en el cielo,
Y paz en el suelo qu'es Jesus nascieta.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Este viene a dar a los muertos vida
Y viene a reparar de todos la caida;
Es la luz del dia aqueste mocuelo;
Este es el cordero que San Juan dixera.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Pues que ya tenemos lo que desseamos,
Todos juntos vamos presentes llevemos;
Todos le daremos nuestra voluntad,
Pues a se igualar con el hombre viniera.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc
And in English:
Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale's sounds)
The river bank protects it,
As God kept the wolf
from our lamb.
The rabid wolf tried to bite her,
But God Almighty knew how to defend her,
He wished to create her impervious to sin,
Nor was this maid to embody original sin.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
The newborn child is the mightiest monarch,
Christ patriarchal invested with flesh.
He made himself small and so redeemed us:
He who was infinite became finite.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Many prophecies told of his coming,
And now in our days have we seen them fulfilled.
God became man, on earth we behold him,
And see man in heaven because he so willed.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
A thousand singing herons I saw passing,
Flying overhead, sounding a thousand voices,
Exhulting, "Glory be in the heavens, and peace on Earth, for Jesus has been born."
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
He comes to give life to the dead,
He comes to redeem the fall of man;
This child is the light of day,
He is the very lamb Saint John prophecied.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Now we have gotten what we were all desiring,
Go we together to bear him gifts:
Let each give his will to the God who was willing
To come down to Earth mans equal to be.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
The Villancico was a poetic/musical form popular in Spain from the 15th century on. The form began with secular texts, but as Spain began to colonize Latin America, the Villancico was used for Church services. I haven't done any specific research on this piece, but it was likely performed for Christmas masses or during Advent. The titular sound effects "Riu riu chiu" are onomatopoetic; representing the song of a Nightingale.
In my opinion, a Nightingale sounds more like he is using some sort of Star Trek phaser or laser weapon. Try this
video 0:30 in to see what I mean.
I tried out several versions of this piece. Many on youtube are acappella choral groups. There is even one by the Monkees (I'm not even going to link to it to spare you all from the mop top cheesefest). However, the Kalenda Maya is by far my favorite. Listening to it made me smile.
Their balance was wonderful. I saw other versions where male voices took the verses, but Kalenda Maya chose to give the verses to a solo female voice. The accompaniment adds a lot of sass with the insistent drumbeat and finger cymbals (finger cymbals? really?). I heard
Chanticleer's version, which was also fabulous, and used a very similar accompaniment pattern.
I liked the open feel of the consonances; most lines ended with open fourths. The soloists' use of vibrato really drew my attention; she used a pointed, short, quick vibrato on particular words (such as tuviera in the first verse).
This was a really unexpected suggestion! I loved it! Anybody want to go Christmas caroling and attempt it? (kidding. sort of.)
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