Conductus

Two quite separate repertoires are identified as conductus in the Middle Ages. The first consists of para-liturgical monophonic Latin songs, sung on important liturgical feasts, and clustered around the Christmas season. This repertoire played an important role in the 13th-century feast of the Circumcision at the northern French cathedrals of Laon, Sens and Beauvais, including the famous conductus ‘Orientis partibus’ with its French refrain ‘Hez sir asne, hez!’. Conductus were particularly associated with moments when the clergy were moving around the church during the Office, and with liturgical dramas*. As well as the Laon, Sens and Beauvais sources, nine conductus of this type are found...