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Alta Caelis4
Primum Opus
Voces Domini; Jean-Claude Picard, conductor and composer
Alta Caelis, 2024
On the Alta Caelis label, the Musica Sacra in Ecclesia series presents its first recording of sacred music as sung for decades at Quebec’s Notre-Dame Cathedral basilica. The album, entitled Primum Opus, includes Gregorian repertoire and polyphonic motets for four male voices on the theme of the Ascension of Christ and the Immaculate Conception, performed by the Voces Domini ensemble. The choirmaster, Jean-Claude Picard, includes some of his own pieces to the program, alongside others by Quebec composers such as Denis Bédard, and a number of special pieces for organ.
The first two tracks, with the sounds of bells and Viri Galilaei’s Gregorian Introït of the Ascension, plunge us into a state of contemplation and great spirituality. The choir’s voices are round and warm, particularly in more recent liturgical pieces such as Carlo Rossini’s Jubilate Deo. Denis Bédard is well represented, but sometimes his more modern musical language, which borders on romanticism, does not quite fit in context with the Gregorian chants of the Middle Ages that are pervasive at the beginning of the album. His pieces might have been better served, grouped together in a single block, as is the case for the Sanctus, Notre Père and Agnus Dei (Tracks 8 to 10). The Sanctus, with its rich harmonies, is particularly well thought-out. On the whole, the modern pieces are very pleasing to the ear, thanks in particular to the good blend and fullness of the choir voices.
The second part of the album, devoted to the Immaculate Conception, opens with an elegant Gregorian chant, followed by an inspired Kyrie by Jean-Claude Picard. Picard’s penchant for declamatory style helps to ensure that the various pieces flow smoothly from one to the next. The same applies to Rossini’s Salve Regina, a magnificent tribute to the music of the past. Finally, there is another little gem by Denis Bédard, this time for organ, reminiscent of the harmonies of Gabriel Fauré.
Translation: Gianmarco Segato
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