CANTADERAS
CANTADERAS is the name of a women’s ensemble with a solid musical education in the field of early music, allowing the combination of musical repertoires from the 13th to the 16th centuries (Gregorian chant, Cantigas de St. María, Notre Dame School, early and renaissance polyphonies, …) with other repertoires coming from oral traditional music, mostly performed by women.
Anne Marie Lablaude, Ana Arnaz, June Telletxea and Paloma Gutiérrez del Arroyo approach this women’s repertoire, relying on the experience as early music singers.
More information on cantaderas.anaarnaz.com
Musicians websites: palomagutierrezdelarroyo.com
PROGRAMS
READING HEAVEN’S BOOK. Survival of the community
Cantaderas bring to life some of the remains of the close relationship between humans and the atmospheric elements with two different repertoires, connecting medieval Gregorian chant and the traditional Spanish music from the beginning of the 20th century. The stars and the cardinal points, winds and clouds will be revealed throughout this program, in the religious texts as well as secular, coming from the most ancient written tradition (Responsorys, Antiphons and Tracts) as well as from the most perennial oral tradition (songs greeting the dawn, rogations songs asking for the rain, serenades, wedding songs). Read more…
AS FESTAS DO ANNO. Nature and religion in one thread
« This song is for the pilgrimage which takes place during the Assumption’s Day» is the title of the Cantiga de Santa María n° 420, and it is easy to imagine that it was composed for a pilgrimage like El Ramo a la Magdalena, performed by women in Asturias. For the program As Festas do Anno, the Ensemble Cantaderas has chosen to focus on the last Cantigas de Santa María del Códice Princeps de El Escorial, written and sung at festivals and holy days throughout the year: the Epiphany, the Annunciation, the Ascension, the Assumption and the Festival of the Crosses held in May. Read more…
CATHARSIS. About death and life
Cantaderas proposed program gives shape to one of the most important periods of the liturgical year: Easter time. Its importance is due to a repeating transformation: sorrow turns into happiness; grief into hope and sadness is replaced by joy. Catharsis highlights this transformation with a repertoire that transports the listener from the image of pain to joy: from lent to Easter Sunday, from winter to spring. The medieval repertoire chosen from the Florence Manuscript (the most important source from the Notre Dame repertoire) are the Rondelli sung during Easter time.Read more….
DEVOTA FECUNDITAS. When God was a woman
Friday morning. A group of women knock on the door of every village house to ask for grain. They will bring it to the mill, and with that flour they will bake the bread and the cakes, which will be offered to the saint on the Sunday procession. The men observe while women of all ages perform rituals, singing and playing. Accompanying themselves on hand percussion … Read more…
EVOCA PROJECT
The EVOCA project (EVOCA for “Exploration of the Vocality and the Orality of Ancient Chant” in Spanish) was born in 2021 from the encounter of four singers interested on the medieval vocal repertoires, both by their aesthetic and the type of practices that are implied by their chant: oral tradition (with the common search of memorisation tools, vocality and temperaments); the polyphonic improvisation; the interpretation of ancient notations… Paloma Gutiérrez del Arroyo has been exploring these practices for years, and she carries on her way, now in company of Ana Arnaz, Èlia Casanova and Amparo Maiques.
From its beginning, the project has enjoyed the inestimable support of the Aula de Música (Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Madrid)*, the Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània (Valencia) and the French festival Voix et route romane (Alsace).
LA CECCHINA
The Baroque ensemble was founded in 2003 in Basel, where all the members of the group studied early music at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. The repertoire of La Cecchina goes from the end of XVI century until the end of XVII century, during this period the poliphony leaves the protagonism to the accompanied modody, that offers the possibility to create bridges between two different styles that always appeared clearly separated: the Renaissance and the Baroque.
PROGRAMS
DACA, BAILEMOS CARILLO!
The program shows the influence dances had in vocal music since the end of the XV century to the beginning of the XVII century. Villottes, Villanelle, Villancicos, Ensaladas and Recercadas, sung and danced in the Aragon Kingdom during the renaissance. A joyful program with music from: Azzaiolo, Da Nola, del Encina, Flecha, Ortiz, Milán, etc… Read more…
LA VITA CHE PASSA …
Towards the prima or the seconda prattica? The arrival of the new asesthetic at the end of the XVI century in Italy shows the path from polyphony to basso continuo: the end of the contrapuncto era leaves space for a new practice called the Recitative style, in which the text once again gains the importance that it lacked in the polyphonic style. The program is conceived around emblematic figures like F. Cavalli, C. Monteverdi and A. Grandi, some of the most famous composers of this time… Read more…
EX LUCE COLOR ENSEMBLE
Through a common light and shared musical sensibility, the musicians of the Ex Luce ensemble, Ana Arnaz and Colleen Jennings seek to bring diverse sound worlds together in a single program surprising and enchanting the listener. By bridging early and contemporary music in their programming and putting art music side by side with traditional European and American repertoire, they bring to their audiences a most evocative and exquisite palette of colors and sounds.
Ex Luce is ultimately an expanding ensemble incorporating fine musicians to accommodate their chosen repertoire. While the Ex Luce musicians come from diverse nationalities and musical backgrounds, they share a common musical language unique to their ensemble. Their combined studies of early, contemporary, celtic and traditional Spanish music give them a breadth of experience. The unique programs presented by Ex Luce reflect this characteristic and are realized with expertise.
The group was founded in 2004 after an invitation to the Festival Les Melanges du Printemps in Dijon, France brought four musicians together. On this occasion French soprano, Anne Quintin and German violinist, Julia Schröder joined Colleen Jennings and Ana Arnaz to perform a program entitled Deux voix deux. Since their founding Ex Luce has presented on festivals in Germany, Spain, USA and France and premiered pieces written for them by composers such as Gail Jennings, Dominique Vellard and Baptiste Romain. Most recently they were resident musicians at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire.
Musicians websites: www.colleenjennings.com