Voices: Clay Cambern, Jon Crump, Merry Dennehy, and Debra Spencer. For a few years in the eighties we were a vocal quartet in Santa Cruz CA.. In 1987, William Coulter helped us record some of our repertoire. We did some gigs and some concerts, and got great satisfaction out of singing together before we went our separate ways. Clay (baritone) returned to Southern California where he had a notable career in film and television editing. Then in 2011, we lost him far too early. We offer this music in his memory. He was gentle and gifted, and we were lucky to know him.

Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.

Vidi Aquam

Composer	Juan Fernandez de Madrid
Date	ca. 1498-1503
Notes	From the Chigi Codex, the manuscript at the Vatican library
Lyrics +	Vidi aquam egredientem de templo, a latere dextro, alleluja: Et omnes, ad quos pervenit aqua ista, salvi facti sunt et dicent, alleluja.
Translation +	I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple, alleluia; and all those whom the water reached were saved, and they shall say: alleluia.

Trac Trac

Composer	Henry Fresneau (1538-1554)
Date	16th cent.
Translation +	Knock knock. Who's there? Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, who's there? It's the good father [which can mean priest or father-in-law]. What do you want? I wish with my soul to speak to my love. Let him enter, says the mistress. Then he entered with great haste, stiffly coming into the hole there while saying to her, Let God be within.

Peine et Travaille

Composer	Henry Fresneau (1538-1554)
Date	16th cent.
Translation +	Pain and travail are to me merely enjoyment, but the worries which I bear for the sake of love make me live forever in sorrow.

Il et Bel et Bon

Composer	Pierre Passereau (1509 – 1547)
Date	16th Cent.
Translation +	"He is handsome and good, girlfriend, my husband is!" There were these two neighbor women in the country. One says to the other, "Do you have a good husband?" "He is handsome and good. He doesn't make me cross, never beats me either. He tends the animals, he feeds the chickens, and I take my pleasure! Girlfriend! It's enough to make you laugh. When the chickens cry out: 'Little chick, co co dac, what's this?' He is handsome and good..." "Girlfriend" could also be "my dear"—in French it has connotations of "gossip."

Madame d'Amour

Composer	Anon
Date	Mid 16th century
Notes	the "Henry VIII Songbook", British Library Add MS 31922 fol. 73v
Lyrics +	Madame d'Amours All times or hours From dole dolours Our Lord you gy; In all socours Unto my powers, To be as yours Until I die, And make you sure No creature Shall me solure Nor yet retain; But to endure Ye may be sure, Whiles life endure, Loyal and plain.

Puis que Tout Passe

Composer	Paul Hindemith
Date	1939
Notes	From 6 Chansons
Lyrics +	Puisque tout passe, faisons la mélodie passagère; celle qui nous désaltère, aura de nous raison. Chantons ce qui nous quitte avec amour et art; soyons plus vite que le rapide départ.
Translation +	Since all is passing, let us make a passing melody. The one that quenches our thirst will be right for us. Let us sing what leaves us with love and art. Let us be quicker than its quick departure.

Benedicite

Composer	Robert Fayrfax
Date	ca. 1500
Notes	Fayrfax manuscript, edited in Musica Britanica vol. 37
Lyrics +	Benedicite, what dreamèd I this night? Methought the world was turnèd up-so-down, The sun, the moon, had lost their force and light, The sea also drownèd both tower and town. Yet more marvel, how that I heard the sound Of one's voice saying, "Bear in thy mind, Thy lady hath forgotten to be kind."

Regina Coeli (4 part)

Composer	Anonymous
Date	ca. 1498-1503
Notes	From the Chigi Codex, the manuscript at the Vatican library
Lyrics +	Regina coeli laetare, Alleluia. Quia quem meruisti portare, Alleluia. Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum. Alleluia.
Translation +	Rejoice, Queen of Heaven, alleluia, for he whom you were worthy to bear, alleluia, has risen as he said, alleluia. Pray to God for us, alleluia.

El Jubilate

Composer	Mateo Flecha el Viejo (1481-1553)
Lyrics +	Jubilate Deo omnis terra Cantate, et exultate et psallite. Mil plaseres a cá estén, amen. Yansí lo digo jo, por el Niño que nació esta noche en Belén. Oh, gran bien, por quien se diría. Para mí me lo querría, madre mía. Por dó veniste, bien tal? Por la Virgen preservada, la qual dixo en su llegada. al peccado original: Poltron françoy, lasáme andare, que soy infantina del bel maridare. El diablo, que lo oyó, se temió porque no pudo creer que lo que mujer perdió lo cobremos por mujer. sí puede ser, señor bachiller. Oh, qué bonita canción! Mejor le fuera el mal año al tacaño de la ro-ro-ro-ro-ro-rón. En la ciudad de la Gloria dó los serafines son, en medio de todos ellos, cayó un pícaro baylón de la ro-ro-ro-ro-ro-rón. El banastón me espanta, que traga con su garganta, los padres primeros. Oh grosseros!, no veys que la Virgen santa dixo contra Lucifer: "Non fay, el cavaller, non fay tal vilanía, que filiola me soy de Dios de Abrán, señor de la jerarchía "L'ánima mía!" El maldito replicó: "Nunca más paporreo! Assí assí, cuerpo de nos!, quí veré yo cómo baylaréis vos a la girigonça! Saltar y baylar con voces y grita!" Y vos renegar, serpiente maldita! La Virgen bendita os hará baylar a la girigonça. Et ipsa conteret caput tuum, Alleluia!
Translation +	Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth, sing and exalt and play the cithara. Let there be a thousand pleasures here, amen. Yes, I tell you, because of the baby that is born tonight in Bethlehem, all great good through whom one may say, He wanted it for me, mother. Where did such good come from? Through the protected virgin who, when she was born, said to Original Sin: French fool! Let me go, for I am the child of a good marriage. The devil, who heard it, was afraid. For he could not believe that that which a woman had lost we could recover through a woman. Yes, it can be so, Sir Knight! Oh, what a good song! The bad year is better for the crafty one, for one and all are with him, tralala, for he is a great hairy thief, tralala. In the city of glory where the seraphim are, in the middle of them all fell a wicked one, dancing to the tralala. The glutton terrifies me for he has swallowed our first parents down his throat. Oh fools! Don't you see that the holy virgin said to Lucifer: Do not do it, knight. Do not do such villainy, for I am the daughter of the God of Abraham, the supreme lord. Oh my soul! The cursed one replied. No longer will I eat them up. Yes, by my body, here I will see how you will dance to the girigonsa, leap and dance with cries and shouts. And you give up, cursed serpent. The blessed virgin will make you dance to the girigonsa. And she will bruise your head. Alleluia!

Blessed be that Maid Marie

Composer	From William Ballet's Lute Book, late 16th or early 17th century
Notes	Traditional, old English carol
Lyrics +	Blessed be that Maid Marie; Born He was of her body; Very God ere time began, Born in time the Son of man. Refrain: Eya! Ihesus hodie Natus est de Virgine. In a manger of an ass Jesus lay and lulled was; Born to die upon the Tree Pro peccante homine. Refrain Sweet and blissful was the song Changed of the Angel throng, "Peace on earth," Alleluya. In excelsis gloria. Refrain Fare three Kings from far-off land, Incense, gold and myrrh in hand; In Bethlehem the Babe they see, Stelle ducti lumine. Refrain Make we merry on this fest, In quo Christus natus est; On this Child I pray you call, To assoil and save us all. Refrain

Riu Riu Chiu

Composer	Anonymous
Date	16th century
Notes	Traditional Spanish Christmas carol. A villancico.
Translation +	Riu riu chiu, guardian of the river, may the Lord keep the wolf from our lamb. The Lord kept the wolf from our little Lamb. The furious wolf tried to bite her, but the Lord Almighty defended her well and made her a virgin free of all sin.

Lullay my Liking

Composer	Gustav Holst (1874 – 1934)
Notes	The text is an anonymous 15th Cent. middle English lyric.
Lyrics +	I saw a fair maiden Sitten and sing: She lulléd a little child, A sweeté lording. Chorus: Lullay my liking, My dear son, my sweeting; Lullay my dear heart, Mine own dear darling That eternal lord is he That made allé thing; Of allé lordés he is Lord Of allé kinges King. There was mickle melody At that childés birth: Though the songsters were heavenly They madé mickle mirth. Angels bright they sang that night And saiden to that child, "Blessed be thou and so be she That is both meek and mild." Pray we now to that child, And to his mother dear, God grant them all his blessing That now maken cheer.

Regina Coeli (3 part)

Composer	Anonymous
Date	ca. 1498-1503
Notes	As above for the 4 part version. From the Chigi Codex, the manuscript at the Vatican library

In Memoriam Clay Cambern