Veni Emmanuel

In the Christian occident, the birth of Jesus is both the founding event and the focal point around which the entire liturgical year is organized. Thus, in the history of music, the Christmas repertoire forms a continent in its own right, enriched by new gems from every period. The "Veni Emmanuel" program explores the a cappella side of this immense corpus, where, by definition, the voices resound in all their purity and power, without the aid of any instrumental accompaniment.

From Gregorian plainchant to Johann Sebastian Bach, from Josquin des Prés to Tomas Luis de Victoria, from Byrd to Charpentier, Paul Agnew and the Les Arts Florissants choir take us on a geographical and historical tour of this repertoire, in all the stylistic variety of its many European schools. Beyond the celebration of the Messiah's coming ("Emmanuel" as the Book of Isaiah calls him), this anthology of luminous or poignant pieces, most of them rarely performed, will offer an opportunity to share with Les Arts Florissants the joy and love of music during the Advent festivities.