Ensemble Gilles Binchois, Dominique Vellard – Vellard: Cantica Sacra (2015) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

As strongly influenced by his personal musical itinerary as by music stemming from other traditions that have fascinated him for more than 40 years, Dominique Vellard’s compositions are rooted in his regular practice of sacred repertoires. That is why the pieces he has chosen to set to music are – as for his first CD, Vox nostra resonet, released in 2007 -, essential works of the liturgical repertoire.

It is, of course, the voice that is of prime importance in these compositions: the men’s voices take the role of traditional chantres, or cantors, the women’s voices having a more peaceful role or, joining with the five men’s voices and thereby expanding the sound palette, colouring it with rich harmonics.

Dominique Vellard’s writing, aside from the solo monodic parts of course, is always contrapuntal, this style of composition being entrenched in him owing to his familiarity with the great mediaeval and Renaissance repertoires. Furthermore, his concern for clarity of the discourse incites him to use a natural, clear prosody.

To the repertoire stemming directly from the liturgy are added two suites of short motets for solo voice and viols on the text of The Song of Songs, as well as the magnificent text of the ‘Beatitudes’ for two women’s voices.
In concert, all these pieces are meant to create a dialogue with early repertoires, leading the listener to perceive the correspondences and integrate the newness and originality of this writing at the same time as its belonging to a long musical tradition.

Tracklist:
1-01. Stephan Van Dyck, Dominique Vellard, Mathias Spoerry, Emmanuel Vistorky, Joel Frederiksen – Requiem: Introït (05:58)
1-02. Stephan Van Dyck, Dominique Vellard, Mathias Spoerry, Emmanuel Vistorky, Joel Frederiksen – Requiem: Kyrie (02:04)
1-03. Anne Delafosse, Anne-Marie Lablaude – Requiem: Graduel (03:56)
1-04. Ensemble Gilles Binchois, Dominique Vellard – Requiem: Offertoire (02:55)
1-05. Anne Delafosse, Anne-Marie Lablaude, Stephan Van Dyck, Mathias Spoerry, Emmanuel Vistorky, Joel Frederiksen – Requiem: Sanctus (02:19)
1-06. Stephan Van Dyck, Mathias Spoerry, Emmanuel Vistorky, Joel Frederiksen – Requiem: Agnus Dei (03:06)
1-07. Anne Delafosse, Anne-Marie Lablaude, Stephan Van Dyck, Dominique Vellard, Mathias Spoerry, Emmanuel Vistorky, Joel Frederiksen – Requiem: Communion (01:09)
1-08. Anne Delafosse, Anne-Marie Lablaude – Requiem: In paradisum (02:18)
1-09. Dominique Vellard – Lamentatio: Leçon du Jeudi Saint (09:44)
1-10. Dominique Vellard, Stephan Van Dyck, Emmanuel Vistorky – Miserere: Psaume 50 (06:42)
2-01. Anne Delafosse, Anne-Marie Lablaude – Les Béatitudes (09:54)
2-02. Margaux Blanchard – Cantique 1: Prélude 1 (01:15)
2-03. Dominique Vellard, Margaux Blanchard – Cantique 1: Veni, dilecta mea (01:30)
2-04. Margaux Blanchard – Cantique 1: Prélude 2 (01:23)
2-05. Dominique Vellard, Margaux Blanchard – Cantique 1: Surge, amica mea (02:55)
2-06. Margaux Blanchard – Cantique 1: Prélude 3 (02:33)
2-07. Dominique Vellard, Margaux Blanchard – Cantique 1: Egredimini, filiæ Sion (05:11)
2-08. Margaux Blanchard, Sarah Van Oudenhove, Robin Pharo – Fantaisie pour 3 violes (04:22)
2-09. Margaux Blanchard, Sarah Van Oudenhove, Robin Pharo, Anne-Marie Lablaude – Cantique 2: Quam pulchra es (02:40)
2-10. Margaux Blanchard, Sarah Van Oudenhove, Robin Pharo – Cantique 2: Intermède (01:33)
2-11. Margaux Blanchard, Sarah Van Oudenhove, Robin Pharo, Anne-Marie Lablaude – Cantique 2: Anima mea (03:06)
2-12. Dominique Vellard, Mathias Spoerry, Emmanuel Vistorky, Stephan Van Dyck – Magnificat (08:41)