Concert by Le Madrigal de Paris, Sunday, July 2 at 9:00 pm

A top-class vocal ensemble, Le Madrigal de Paris tackles a varied repertoire ranging from the origins of Western music (Gregorian chant) to the present day. Since 1988, it has been directed by Pierre Calmelet.

Since its creation in 1970, Le Madrigal de Paris, made up of amateur singers, has established itself on the French choral scene. Since then, the ensemble has performed at numerous festivals and won prizes in several choral competitions: in 1989 at the Concours National Francis Poulenc in Lille, in 1992 and 1995 at the Concours International de Chant Choral de Tours (1st National Prize), in 1993 at the Rencontres Chorales Internationales de Montreux (Mention Excellent with congratulations from the jury, Prix du Public, Prix Bärenreiter for the composition of the program).

As part of its efforts to promote the French repertoire both in France and abroad, Le Madrigal de Paris and Pierre Calmelet regularly engage in exchanges with foreign vocal and instrumental ensembles (Italy, Lithuania, England, Germany, USA).

In recent years, Le Madrigal de Paris’ recording output has been enriched by several critically acclaimed albums: a Requiem by Camille Saint-Saëns, awarded a Prix Massenet in 2011; a Poètes & Musiciens disc devoted to the work of French composers; Joseph Haydn’s Les Sept Dernières Paroles du Christ en Croix; and the latest, In saecula saeculorum, which illustrates the richness of Gregorian chant, a thousand-year-old heritage that is still relevant today.

Keen to bring to the attention of performers and audiences alike a heritage of French works that is all too little known, Le Madrigal intends to intensify its efforts in this direction by developing a bold recording policy in the years ahead.

On the program, a bouquet of multi-voice polyphonies (from 2 to 24 voices). With works by: Simone Plé, Orlando di Lasso, Mikolaj Zielenski, Jan Peterszoon Sweelink, Clément Janequin, Giovanni Croce, Philippe Verdelot, Jan Le Febure, Annibale Padovano.

Conductor: Pierre Calmelet

Free admission – free participation in organization costs

Information: 02 37 51 59 08