Ode & Ballade - These two words have meanings in all three languages in which we sing: poem, song, tale, enjoyment, dedication, rhyme, sonnet, storytelling, folly, serenade, education, verse, legend, festivities, chant, and dance. The songs on this album reflect these sentiments. They contain stories of medieval saints and sacred wells, fair maidens outsmarting presumptuous knights, beautiful or boisterous drinking songs, thieves meeting their fate, heartbreaking love songs, groovy dance tunes, and celebrations of the return of the Spring.