In the Middle Ages, it was the usual custom to honor especially well-known and respected doctors of theology, physicians, other intellectuals, and church artists by giving them Latin epithets or surnames that expressed or identified certain characteristics or dignity. Thus, the French cantor Albert of Paris obtained his distinctive name while he served at the Cathedral of Notre Dame from 1146 to 1177. Other than those dates, very little else is known for certain about the life of Parisiensis. He probably came from Étampes and upon his passing, he is recorded as having bequeathed a substantial donation of liturgical books to the Cathedral.

Although the attribution may be spurious, all that is known of his composing is a single three-voiced conductus on a Benedicamus trope entitled Congaudeant catholici. This earliest-known example of three-voice polyphony is printed within the five books of the twelfth-century Codex Calixtinus. This codex is a kind of elaborate travel guide, part of the Liber Sancti Jacobi probably written in southern France between 1130 and 1140; it is intended to promote pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, a small town in northwestern Spain supposedly containing the burial place of St. James, who was carried there after being martryed at the hands of Herod. St. James, in a vision, then inspired Charlemagne to "follow the path of the stars (the Milky Way)" and liberate Spain from the Moors in the eighth century. Bright lights and miracles were said to reward pilgrims who later replicated the journey. Forged letters bearing the name of Pope Calixtus II and others were added to the text to give it the air of power and authenticity.

Book I contains liturgy set to plainchant, poetry, and pilgrims' hymns; Book II describes the miracles experienced by pilgrims and attributed to St. James; Book III describes the martrydom and burial of St. James; Book IV details Charlemagne's battles; and Book V is the travel guide, but like Book I it contains music—in this case, 20 pieces in two-part texture except for the three-part setting by Albertus Parisiensis. One of the lower voices is printed in red ink ostensibly to prevent confusion when the paths of the two voices crossed. Because of the difficulty of transcribing the rhythmic coordination between parts and intended durations of the early notation, there are two modern transcriptions, one by Theodore Karp in triple meter and one by Paul Helmer in a kind of free duple meter. © "Blue Gene" Tyranny, All Music Guide

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