I had a fantastic time working with Ensemble La Sportelle in March, as we recorded their next album, Hymn to the Virgin. It was a delight to return to this programme, which we had worked on together earlier this year. Stay tuned for the album launch date!
About the Programme
For centuries, the figure of the Virgin Mary has inspired composers, whether from the Gregorian tradition, the Renaissance, or contemporary music. This programme highlights this continuity by juxtaposing the luminous polyphonies of Victoria, Byrd, and Brumel with the more modern visions of Górecki, Tavener, and Owain Park himself.
The pure and soaring harmonies of Renaissance masters, imbued with fervor and balance, find a fascinating echo in the works of the 20th and 21st centuries, where contemplation gives way to striking emotional intensity.
Programme
Anon. Pulcherrima Rosa
Tomás Luis de Victoria (c. 1548 – 1611) Ave Maria
Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) Ave Maria
Neil Cox (b. 1955) O Maria, Vernans Rosa
William Byrd (1543 – 1623) Senex Puerum
Joanna Ward (b. 1998) She Adored
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (1933 – 2010) Veni, O Mater Terrae
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki O Mater Semper Alma
Owain Park (b. 1993) Prière pour Marie
Judith Bingham (b. 1952) Les Saintes Maries de la Mer
Antoine Brumel (c. 1460 – 1512) Sub tuum praesidium
Hildegard von Bingen (1098 – 1179) Alleluia, O virga mediatrix
John Tavener (1944 – 2013) Mother of God here I stand
Edvard Grieg (184 – 1907) Ave maris stella
Tomás Luis de Victoria Ave Regina caelorum
Pierre Villette (1926 – 1998) Hymne à la Vierge
Upcoming 2025 Performances
5 June – Notre-Dame and Saint-Cyprien church, Château-Larcher
30 September – Notre-Dame d’Espinasse Church, Aubusson-d’Auvergne
4 October – Saint-Sauveur Church, Rochechouart
5 October – Notre-Dame Basilica, Saint-Benoît-Sur-Loire
11 November – Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire Church, Marseille
12 November – Saint-Martin Collegiale Church, Colmar
6 December – Notre-Dame Colegiale Church, Semur-en-Auxois
More information is available on the Ensemble La Sportelle website.