Whiteraven Recording represents my personal recording endeavors. Most things that appear here will be performed by the Paul Butler Consort, otherwise known affectionately as Paul and the all-Paul band. I have a fairly wide early music and folk instrument collection, and many of which were acquired for the express purpose of being able to record with them in this format. Provided with a BOSE 8-track digital recorder, and the occasional assistance of Alfred Goodrich at Silvertone Studios, several albums will be released under this label.

ANNOUNCING WHITERAVEN'S FIRST RELEASE!

Of Dyverse Mynstralsye is a collection of medieval, renaissance and early folk music featuring the harp, but including performances on vielle, recorder, percussion and voice. The title of the album comes from a quote from Sir Cleges (Middle English Lay) that I encountered when doing research on the citole:
"And as he walkyd uppe and done, sore sygheng, he herd a sowne
Of dyverse mynstralsye, of trumpers, pypers, and nakerners,
Of herpers notys and gytherners, of sytall and of sautrey.
Many carrals and grete dansyng in every syde herd he syng,
In every place, treuly.”

PRICE: $15.00
Can be acquired from me by check or money order (made out to Paul Butler) for $15.00 plus $1.50 shipping.
Email at: pbutler@camden.rutgers.edu for more information.
OR: at CD Baby using your credit card.

TRACK LIST: (Title (Time). Author. Notes, including instruments used - see abbreviations below for details)

Los Sept Goyts Estampie (2:35). Composed by Al Cofrin based on the vocal piece Los Sept Goyts from the Llibre Vermeil de Montserrat, ca. 1300. bh,tv,mv,sr,d,bd,t
Dehors Lonc Pre (3:06). Anonymous 13th Cent. Trouvere piece. fh,ar
Amoroso (2:38). Anonymous 15th Cent. Italian. bh
Ja nus hon pris/ A l'entrant d'este (5:04). Richard Coeur de Lion/ Blondel de Nesle late 12th Cent. Supposedly written by Richard I of England while he was in prison in Germany 1192-1194, decrying his sad state. Blondel is attributed legendarily with finding the imprisoned King and spreading the word of his state. Lyrics below. bh,v,tc
Cantiga 48: Tanto son da grorosia (1:49). Alfonso X (Spanish 13th Cent.). One of the over 450 Cantigas de Santa Maria, a huge collection of songs, both secular and sacred, assembled by King Alfonso X in the mid 13th century. bh
Dawn Song (4:27). Lyrics from Betran D'Alamano or Gaucelm Faidir (13th Cent. French), music adapted from a 13th Cent. anonymous motet. The original title is Us cavaliers si jazia. English translation based on Willard R. Trask from his text Medieval Lyrics of Europe. Lyrics found below. fh,v,tv
Sheebeg and Sheemore (1:21). Turlough O'Carolan ca. 1692. You can't have a harp album without the Irish master. Supposedly this was the first piece he composed after he had gone blind and was trying to become a bard. fh
Douce Dame Jolie (3:41). Guillaume de Machaut (14th Cent. French). An almost near eastern arrangement of this normally sedate and lovely piece. Machaut is perhaps the most famous of the 14th. Century composers. bh,d,bd,t,sc,ac,tc
Three Northern Tunes: Schottis från Idre, Reinlander, Ti-ti-ty (4:11). Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish traditional. Based on several tunes and their arrangments heard on Beth Kolle's harp album The Northern Folk Harp, which I highly recommend. fh,tv
Spagnoletta (2:06). Either Michael Praetorius (1612) or Pierre Francisque Caroubel (ca. 1600). And I always thought this was a Spanish piece. bh
Annachie Gordon (7:58). Traditional Scottish/ Child Ballad #239. Based on Loreena McKennitt's variant from her album Elemental. Possibly the first full song I learned on harp. Lyrics below. fh,v
Rostiboli Gioioso (4:21). Gugliolmo Ebreo (15th Cent. Italian). This slightly odd version of the dance comes from a unique french manuscript that writes out the improvisations done above the tenory. The regular dance may be done to it. tv,fh,c.
Harper's Air (Air to D'amberville) (2:51). Paul Butler. Written as a tribute to Donald Snow, else known as Gaston D'Amberville, after his passing. He had just taken up the harp beforehand. fh, tr
Susato Trio (Ronde Mon Amy, Allemande, Ronde Warum) (3:58). Tielman Susato (16th Cent. Flemish). Based on pioneer early harpist Elena Polonska's grouping. Susato was one of the most prolific Renaissance publishers of part secular music. fh,ar
Jouyssance vous donneray/ Tourdion (2:45). Thoinot Arbeau (French 1589). One of my general favorites, normally done more elaborately than this, but I wanted to try one solo on the tenor vielle. mv
Fortune My Foe (2:19). William Byrd (English 1539-1623). William Byrd was Queen Elizabeth I's court composer. This was one of his most popular pieces. Lyrics below. bh,v,sr,ar,tr
Agincourt Carol/ La route au beziers (4:58). Anonymous 15th Cent. English/ French Traditional. Based on the variant performed by Maddy Prior and June Tabor. Celebrates the famous battle where Henry V of England routed the French army in 1415. Lyrics below. mv,v,d,bd,z,sc,tc

Total Time: 59:58
All instruments and vocals performed by Paul Butler. All tracks recorded, mixed and mastered by Paul Butler except Track 11, recorded, mixed and mastered by Alfred Goodrich at Silvertone Studios in Ardmore, PA (610)649-8808. Additional mastering done by Alfred Goodrich at Silvertone. ©2004 Paul Butler All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited by law and may result in criminal prosecution.

Instruments used in the Recording

	bh: 22-string gothic bray harp by George Stevens in ash wood. Part of "buzzy" sound very popular in the medieval and renaissance period. The strings are anchored by "L" shaped pins that brush them lightly, creating a buzzing drone beyond the note of the string. The frame and soundbox are very small and narrow (compare to the folk harp below), so normally they aren't as loud as the modern harps. But the buzz creates a louder, more piercing tone, so this little harp can actually be heard over the larger folk one. To hear the sound, click on Amoroso above. Acquired from the Early Music Shop in England.
	fh: 26-string folk harp by Dusty Strings. This one was made in 1991. It has an unusually rich sound for a Dusty of its size, fuller than most of the FH26's I've tinkered with in the last couple of years. Could be a fluke (I'm known for finding the fluky good instument), could be that the laminates used now are not as clean as the ones used then, or that the slight design changes have made that much difference. Whatever the case, this one shows no signs of aging (or soundboard warping), and I'm happy with it! Discovered at the Bucks County Folk Music Store.
	sr: Kobliczek Praetorius soprano recorder in maple (a late renaissance wide bore) - the little dark one in the center. ar: Mollenhauer Kynsecker g-alto recorder in pear (a late renaissance wide bore) - the lighter colored one on the left. tr: Koch neo-renaissance tenor recorder in rosewood (wide bore but with a modern profile) - the long dark one on the right. The soprano and tenor were acquired as used instruments from the Early Music Shop in England. The Koch is at least 40 years old, as he passed in the 1960's. The Kobliczek is only a couple of years old. The Kynsecker I won on eBay, a useful source for finding early instruments if you know what you're looking for.
	sc: RWC soprano cornamuse (kit-built) (the cornamuse is a capped double-reed instrument, similar to a bagpipe chanter played without the bag. They are part of the popular medieval/renaissance "buzzy" sound.) This is small dark one in the center. ac: Korber alto cornamuse. The medium toned one on the right. tc: RWC tenor cornamuse (kit-built). The light one on the left. The soprano and tenor were acquired as kits from the Early Music Shop in England. The alto was acquired used from EMS, and is also fairly old - I'd guess from the 1970's. On the bottom of this picture is my soprano crumhorn, also a kit from EMS. It wasn't used for this recording, but is usually grouped with these instruments, so I stuck it in.
	tv: 4-string treble vielle by Marco Salerno, in style of 15th century. Presently tuned more or less like a modern violin, and about as large, though not as loud. Acquired, like most of my instruments, from the Early Music Shop in England after playing every vielle they had in the shop, practically. mv: 5-string Memling vielle by Bernard Ellis. Ellis passed several years ago, and I had lamented not being able to acquire one of his fine instruments, when lo and behold, a used one came up in EMS! So I was able to acquire this older one (from the 1980's). This is modeled after the painting by Hans Memling of an Angel playing this vielle, from about 1450. Vielles are one of the precursors to the modern violin. They have almost guitar-shaped deep bodies without soundposts, strung with natural gut (spun sheep's intestine - mmmm, tasty!) tuned in open chords, and are sometimes fretted. The Memling fiddle used here is fretted, the treble one is not. They are played at the shoulder, but with a shorter, arced bow that weighs functionally nothing and is strung with natural (black) horsehair.
	d: djembe by Remo, blue thing on the right bd: buffalo drum by Remo (affectionately known as the "boom drum" for its deep, really loud resonance despite its smaller size)- the larger white round one in back td: renaissance side drum, the tan drum on left t: tamborine pair - mostly the black EYE tamborine of unknown maker, or the smaller mid-east manufacture one with it. z: zills - affectionately known as "the dingers" are the miniature cymbols front center. These came from all over. The djembe and tamborine came from Sam Ash, the buffalo drum from the Maryland Renaissance Faire, and I think the zills came from a near Eastern shop in Collingswood, but I honestly don't remember. The side drum was, you guessed it, a kit from the Early Music Shop in England. No, I don't live anywhere near them. Thank god, otherwise I'd have no money left at all...
	v: vocals by me! This picture from the Maryland Renaissance Faire.

LYRICS TO THE SONGS
Ja nus hon pris by Richard Coeur de Lion
Ja nus hons pris ne dira sa reson
Adroitement, s'ensi com dolans non;
Mes par confort puet il fere chancon,
Moult ai d'amis, mes povre sont li don;
Hont en avront, se por ma reancon

Or sai je bien de voir certainement
Que mors ne pris n'a ami ne parent,
Quant hon me lait por or ne por argent.
Moult m'est de moi, mes plus m'est de ma gent,
Qu'apres ma mort avront reprochier grant,
Se longuement sui pris.

Dawn Song Us cavaliers si jazia by Bertran d'Alamano(fl. 1230-1260) or Gaucelm Faidir (fl. 1180-1215)
(English lyrics translated from Provencal by Willard Trask)
A knight beside his sweet desire
Between his kisses makes inquire:
Sweet, what is to do my dear?
Dark must end as day draws near.
I hear the watchman's 'Up away;'
On the heels of dawn runs day.

Sweet, if day and dawn for ever
Ended were that lovers sever,
Best of blessings where true knight
Lies beside his best delight.
I hear the watchman's 'Up away;'
On the heels of dawn runs day.

Sweet, be sure there is no smarting
Pain can match with lover's parting;
I myself can count its pains
By how little night remains.
I hear the watchman's 'Up away;'
On the heels of dawn runs day.

Sweet, I go but leave thee knowing
I am thine wherever going;
Keep me ever in thy mind
For my heart remains behind.
I hear the watchman's 'Up away;'
On the heels of dawn runs day.

Sweet, without you death would find me,
Love put all my life behind me.
I'll be back as soon as fled,
For without you I am dead.
I hear the watchman's 'Up away;'
On the heels of dawn runs day.

ANNACHIE GORDON Scottish Traditional
Harking is bonny and there lives my love
My heart, it lies on him and cannot be moved
It cannot be moved for all that I have done
And I never will forget my love Annachie
For Annachie Gordon, he's bonny and he's bright
He'd entice any woman that e'er he saw
He'd entice any woman and so he has done me
And I'll die if I don't get my love Annachie.

Down came her father and he's standing at the door
Saying Jeannie you are trying the tricks of a whore
You care nothing for a man who cares so much for thee
You must marry the Lord Sultan and leave Annachie
For Annachie Gordon is barely but a man
And although he may be pretty, but where are his lands
For the Sultan's lands are broad and his towers they run high
You must marry Lord Sultan and leave Annachie.

With Annachie Gordon I'd beg for my bread
Before I'd marry Sultan his gold to my head
With gold to my head and straight down to my knees
And I'll die if I don't get my love Annachie
And you who are my parents to church you may me bring
But unto Lord Sultan I'll never bear a son
To a son or a daughter I'll never bow my knee
And I'll die if I don't get my love Annachie.

Jeannie was married and from church was brought home
When she and her maidens so merry should have been
When she and her maidens so merry should have been
She goes into her chamber and cries all alone.

Come to bed my Jeannie my honey and my sweet
To style you my mistress it would be so sweet
Be it mistress or Jeanne it's all the same to me
But into your bed Lord Sultan I never will lie
And down came her father and he's spoken with reknown, Saying
You who are her maidens, come and loosen up her gowns
And she fell down to the floor
And straight down to his knee saying
Father look I'm dying for my love Annachie.

The day that Jeanne married was the day that Jeannie died
And the day that young Annachie came home on the tide
And down came her maidens all wringing of their hands
Saying oh it's been so long, you've been so long on the sands
So long on the sands, so long on the flood
They have married your Jeannie and now she lies dead.

You who are her maidens come take me by the hand
And lead me to the chamber where my love she lies in
And he kissed her cold lips till his heart it turned to stone
And he died in the chamber where his love she lies in.

FORTUNE MY FOE by William Byrd
Fortune, my foe, why dost thou frown on me?
And will my favours never greater be?
Wilt thou, I say, forever breed me pain?
And wilt thou ne'er restore my joys again?

Fortune hath wrought me grief and great annoy;
Fortune has falsely stole my love away.
My love and joy, whose sight did make me glad;
Such great misfortunes never young man had.

AGINCOURT CAROL converted to modern English from Early modern
Our king went forth to Normandy
With grace and might of chivalry
There God for him wrought marvelously
Wherefore England may call and cry

Chorus (repeated after every verse)
Deo gratias
Deo gratias Anglia
Redde pro victoria

He set a seige forsooth to say
To Harflour town with royal array
That town he won and made a fray
Than France shall rue until doomsday

Then went our king will all his host
Through France for all the French boast
He spared no dread for less nor most
Til he came Agincourt coast

Then forsooth that comely knight
In Agincourt field did manly fight
Through grace of God most mighty
He had both the field and victory

There dukes and earls, lord and baron
Were take and slain, and that well soon
And some were laid in London Town
With joy and mirth and great renown

Now gracious God he save our King
His people and all his well willing
Give him good life and good ending
That we with mirth may safely sing