Ensemble Gilles Binchois & Dominique Vellard – Vellard: Cantica Sacra (2015) [FLAC 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:
Dominique Vellard (b. 1953)
CD1
01. Requiem: Introït
02. Requiem: Kyrie
03. Requiem: Graduel
04. Requiem: Offertoire
05. Requiem: Sanctus
06. Requiem: Agnus Dei
07. Requiem: Communion
08. Requiem: In paradisum
09. Lamentatio: Leçon du Jeudi Saint
10. Miserere: Psaume 50
CD2
01. Les Béatitudes
02. Cantique 1: Prélude 1
03. Cantique 1: Veni, dilecta mea
04. Cantique 1: Prélude 2
05. Cantique 1: Surge, amica mea
06. Cantique 1: Prélude 3
07. Cantique 1: Egredimini, filiæ Sion
08. Fantaisie pour 3 violes
09. Cantique 2: Quam pulchra es
10. Cantique 2: Intermède
11. Cantique 2: Anima mea
12. Magnificat