Memoria Sancti Henrici
Medieval Plainchant to the Patron Saint of Finland
Köyhät Ritarit
Matti Apajalahti, vocalist
Kari Kaarna, vocalist
Seppo Nousiainen, vocalist
Martin Smeds, vocalist
Kai Vahtola, vocalist
Finnish traditional
Booklet with liner notes in Finnish, English, German and French; sung texts in the original Latin and in English and Finnish translation
CD
Released:
November 1995
Catalogue No.:
ODE 874-2
EAN/UPC Code:
0761195087428
The plainsong music in this collection consists of extracts from medieval masses and offices to St. Henry, recounting part of his legend.
Bishop Henry, the patron saint of Finland, is held to be the principal founder of the Church of Finland during the 12th century. Traditional lore has it that he became the first bishop of the diocese of Turku (which comprised all of Catholic Finland). Previously Bishop of Uppsala in Sweden, he would have taken part in King Erik Jedvardsson's military expedition to Finland and stayed on to preach and build up the Finnish church.
This recording was made at the Suomenlinna Church in Helsinki. The two ensembles performing together - Cetus Noster and Köyhät ritarit ("Poor Knights") - have specialized in Gregorian chant since the mid-1980s.
