La Reverdie, an Italian early music ensemble focusing on secular repertoire, is made up of four sisters who both sing and play a variety of instruments. The pieces on this album, all with animals and nature as the subject, range from ninth century chant through songs and madrigals of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. One of the strengths of the group is its sensitivity to the stylistic differences in this repertoire that spans half a millennium and the breadth of a continent. The folk songs have an entirely appropriate rustic boisterousness, and the later madrigals are sung with absolutely pure tone and refinement. The pieces the group has selected have a buoyant lightness and the performers sing and play with appealing intimacy and naturalness. The diversity of musical styles, the use of both solos and vocal ensembles, and the ingenious and beautifully varied accompaniments (which include bowed and plucked strings, harp, percussion, and winds) make this an especially attractive collection for fans of early music. One drawback of the album is the lack of translations of the texts. For the reader not familiar with Latin or Medieval French, German Italian, or even English, except for the songs using imitative animal sounds, it's difficult to tell what the subject of each song is. Regardless, the music itself is such a pleasure that listening without any textual understanding offers ample rewards. The sound is warm and intimate, with a nice amount of resonance.