Tom Colao enjoys a diverse musical career as a conductor, organist, singer and composer. He currently holds the post of principal organist and choral accompanist at Grace United Methodist Church in Naperville, Illinois, as well as serving as associate conductor of the Northwest Choral Society, based in Des Plaines, Illionois, and accompanist for the Allegro Chorus in Palatine, Illinois. Colao is the composer and arranger of many works for choral and instrumental ensembles, including a Missa Brevis for unaccompanied choir, several settings of the Magnificat & Nunc dimittis for services of Choral Evensong, a string quartet, works for solo organ and various pieces of music composed for liturgical use.

Adam Lay Ybounden (the original Middle-English spelling is “Adam lay i-bowndyn”) is a fourteenth century macaronic hymn that describes the fall of Adam, his imprisonment in hell and his redemption at the time of Christ’s crucifixion during “the harrowing of hell.” The song alludes to Thomas Aquinas’ concept of the felix culpa (“blessed fault”) which teaches that Adam’s fall was necessary for Christ to have been born of Mary (who, as a result, became the queen of heaven) and to become the saviour of mankind. 

Adam lay ybounden
Bounden in a bond:
Four thousand winter
Thought he not too long.

And all was for an apple,
An apple that he took,
As clerkes finden
Written in their book.

Ne had the apple,
The apple taken been,
Ne had never our lady
Abeen Heav’ne Queen

Blessed be the time
That apple taken was:
Therefore we  moun singe
Deo gracias! (Thanks be to God!)

Program notes by Matt Niess, Matt Oltman, Vince Peterson, Dina Spyropoulos, Noah Wagar and Drew Young.