Jonathan SELLS

Laureate of the Jardin des Voix, 3rd edition (2007)

“The Jardin des Voix had a transformative effect on my life and career, and I was incredibly lucky to have been part of it. I was the only bass singer in the 3rd édition of 2007, while I was in my first year of music college, at the age of 25.  After a residency in Caen, the tour took us to top-class venues all over Europe as well as New York.  The experience of being so close to the genius and music spirit of William Christie has carried me through all of my future music-making and played a big part in who I am as a musician.  The opportunity to rehearse and perform with the elite orchestra of Les Arts Florissants was a step-change for me as a student at that time.  My overwhelming memories of the project, apart from the musical ones, are of a deeply happy group, one that came together very closely over a very short period of time.  You can feel the love that William has for the project, and his desire to create one big family.  Some of the friendships which I made then, and during subsequent projects with Les Arts Flo, have lasted until today.
What William Christie showed me was the enormous range of colours that can be applied in the performance of baroque music, the risks that can be taken, and that one should never stop pushing oneself to go deeper, work harder, strive for more inspiration. I have tried to apply these lessons throughout my subsequent career as a singer, and with my ensemble, Solomon’s Knot.
Thank you Bill and Les Arts Flo for this huge gift.”

(Jonathan Sells, 2021)