Editorial Reviews

Several aspects of the Dufay Collective's rendition of the twelfth century "The Play of Daniel" (Ludus Danielis) are radically different from past outings of the esteemed period medieval band. There is a whole busload of singers, though for such a primarily vocal work like "The Play of Daniel," this makes sense; however, on the inside of the booklet the singers are billed confusingly above the band. They are further supported, on some tracks, by Choristers of Southwell Minster, totaling 15 voices versus the five familiar instrumentalists in the Dufay Collective.

Over the course of its 20-year history, the Dufay Collective has earned its claim to fame for being among the most radical, innovative, and sometimes outrageous groups in the early music pantheon. "The Play of Daniel," however, finds its at least a little off its game. While there are some striking moments early in the CD, as the work progresses this realization of "The Play of Daniel" is increasingly more conservative, careful, and uncharacteristically direct and invariable. The singers dominate much of the production, and the Dufay is left only to provide drones or palpitating percussion here and there; even though it is credited with the album, it doesn't seem to have much to do. When the Choristers join in with the solo singers it sometimes overpowers the band, and Harmonia's variable, rather over-the-top approach to reverberation doesn't help matters much. It is still better than an average university or amateur group realizing "The Play of Daniel." You can tell this is a professional, even streamlined performance, and in transmitting the source work, this is certainly adequate. Nevertheless, for the band that recorded unqualified masterpieces such as "Cancionero" for Avie and A Dance in the Garden of Mirth for Chandos, this "The Play of Daniel" is just OK. Uncle Dave Lewis, All Music Guide

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