Soir, Dit-Elle

1	Kyrie, for 3 voices
2	Missa Alma redemptoris ma
3	Laude (3), for solo voice
4	Ave regina gloriosa (Laud
5	Missa Alma redemptoris ma
6	Ave Maria, for 3 voices
7	Regina caeli, for 3 voice
8	Laude (3), for solo voice
9	Missa Alma redemptoris ma
10	The Troparion of Kassiani
11	Laude (3), for solo voice
12	A Lion's Sleep, for 3 voi
13	Missa Alma redemptoris ma
14	Alma Redemptoris Mater
Soir, Dit-Elle
1.	Kyrie, for 3 voices 4:12
	Composed by Oleh Harkavyy
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval
2.	Missa Alma redemptoris mater: Kyrie 4:31
	Composed by Leonel Power
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval
3.	Laude (3), for solo voice: Laude novella (Lauda II) 3:10
	Composed by Gavin Bryars
	Performed by Østrem Ossum
4.	Ave regina gloriosa (Lauda VII), for 3 voices 3:57
	Composed by Gavin Bryars
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval
5.	Missa Alma redemptoris mater: Credo 6:25
	Composed by Leonel Power
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval
6.	Ave Maria, for 3 voices 2:42
	Composed by Andrew Smith
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval
7.	Regina caeli, for 3 voices 2:29
	Composed by Andrew Smith
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval
8.	Laude (3), for solo voice: Ave donna santissima (Lauda III) 3:00
	Composed by Gavin Bryars
	Performed by Linn Andrea Fuglseth
9.	Missa Alma redemptoris mater: Sanctus 4:59
	Composed by Leonel Power
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval
10.	The Troparion of Kassiani, for 3 voices 5:39
	Composed by Ivan Moody
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval
11.	Laude (3), for solo voice: Venite a laudare (Lauda I) 3:32
	Composed by Gavin Bryars
	Performed by Anna Maria Friman
12.	A Lion's Sleep, for 3 voices 9:36
	Composed by Ivan Moody
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval
13.	Missa Alma redemptoris mater: Agnus Dei 6:04
	Composed by Leonel Power
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval
14.	Alma Redemptoris Mater 2:29
	Composed by Gregorian Chant
	Performed by Trio Mediaeval

Barnes & Noble

Trio Mediaeval, the all-female a cappella vocal ensemble, burst onto the early music scene in 2002 with a well-received debut album, Words of the Angel, that mingled early polyphony with a haunting contemporary composition by Ivan Moody. Soir, dit-elle, the trio's equally fine and similarly titled sophomore release, turns that relationship on its head: Here, only one piece of early music -- Leonel Power's 15th-century Mass "Alma redemptoris mater" -- frames a program of contemporary works by Moody, Gavin Bryars, Andrew Smith, and Oleh Harkavyy that were written for the group. Yet as before, the new music reveals a strong affinity with the old. In fact, the opening Kyrie by Harkavyy, with its piquant dissonances and quaint syncopations, could pass unsuspected as medieval polyphony. Likewise, Bryars' lovely series of Laude -- three of which are sung solo by successive members of the trio -- would ring a bell with early-modern ears. Less so the music of Moody ("The Troparion of Kassiani," "A Lion's Sleep") and Smith ("Ave Maria," "Regina caeli"), in which the harmonic language is more up-to-date. But still, the austerity of mood and texture forms an entirely fitting complement to the early music. As for Power's Mass, it is one of the glories of English Renaissance music, and the trio sing it exquisitely -- if early polyphony is your thing, you won't find better than this. And those looking for some early music served up with a sense of adventure and exploration will find much to relish in Soir, dit-elle as well. EJ Johnson

All Music Guide

The pure voices of Anna Maria Friman, Linn Andrea Fuglseth, and Torunn Østrem Ossum combine to make Trio Mediaeval a sensation among early music fans. Yet Soir, dit-elle is largely an album of contemporary works written especially for this group by such active composers as Gavin Bryars, Ivan Moody, Andrew Smith, and Oleh Harkavyy. With the exception of the late medieval "Missa Alma redemptoris mater" by Leonel Power and the twelfth century chant on which it is based, the works are modern imitations in the medieval ecclesiastical style. Despite the trio's beautiful harmonies and the restful calm of its performances, the program is possibly too homogeneous and subdued for any but the most ardent devotees of chant or seekers of music for meditation. That modern composers choose to mimic ancient music -- rather too obviously, with a great profusion of fauxbourdons and Landini cadences -- is a sticking point for those who might wish for something more original and daring. Listeners will find little spice in the selections, which are modal and only mildly dissonant. Moody's "Troparion of Kassiani" and "A Lion's Sleep" are the most adventurous in their progressions, though conservative tastes are unlikely to be offended, for the music flows smoothly and the album's sacred ambience is never disrupted. Blair Sanderson

Gramophone

A beautiful, century-spanning collection merges seamlessly in gorgeous singing.