Step back in time to the Grand Siècle with Newbury Chamber Choir to enjoy the music of the court of The Sun King, the glories of the French Baroque.
De profundis (Delalande), is one of the masterpieces of French church music. Composed in 1689 for the Royal Chapel at Versailles, it combines the older contrapuntal methods and the newer homophonic approach, and gave French sacred music a nobility and intensity not formerly seen.
Messe des morts (Gilles), composed 1697, soon became famous and remains one of the most popular works of the French baroque. It was played at the requiems for Louis XV, and the French composer Rameau. Its enduring popularity is not surprising, as it’s ravishingly beautiful and speaks directly and simply - almost as if baroque music enters a minimalist phase. We present the original version, unadorned, and accompanied by period instruments.
Both works were often programmed in the Parisian Concert Spirituel - one of the first concert series that was open to the public. Our programme is completed by a motet by André Campra, Gilles’s predecessor at the cathedral in Toulouse, and works for lute and theorbo.
Be sure not to miss this rare taste of eighteenth century France!