2022-2023 Season
Vocal and instrumental ensemble with international guests – L’Harmonie des saisons – led by directors Eric Milnes and Mélisande Corriveau is happy to present its 2022-2023 season.
Beyond the pleasure of listening, your attendance to these events contributes, both by purchasing tickets or by YOUR DONATION, to the pursuit of the ensemble’s activities while ensuring the vitality of our artistic endowment.
Direction & organ: Eric Milnes
Denise Torre Ormeno, Rebecca Lekx, Ellen Torrie and Maude F. Gagné, sopranos | Rodrigo del Pozo and Arthur Labrosse-Tanguay, altos | Philippe Gagné, Jeffrey Thompson, Aldéo Jean and Mark Bleeke, tenors | William Kraushaar et Clayton Kennedy, basses
Matthew Jennejohn and Shawn Spicer, cornettos and recorder | Marie-Ange Boislard, Peter Christensen and Peter Collins, saqueboutes | Karim Nasr, dulcianne | Julia Wedman and Guillaume Villeneuve, violins | Hélène Plouffe and Jimin Dobson, violas | Mélisande Corriveau, recorder, viola da gambe and cello | Felix Deak, viola da gamba | Pierre Cartier, doublebass | Antoine Malette-Chénier, harp | Kerry Bursey, lute | Mark Edwards, harpsichord
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI : Les Vêpres à la Vierge
You will be amazed by the splendours of the Italian Baroque and Monteverdi’s Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, a hallmark of sacred music replete with vocal and instrumental gems. This magnificent work, at once resplendent, contemplative and occasionally theatrical, will be performed on period instruments by early music specialists.
- Friday August 18th 2023, 7:30 PM – Saint-Dominique Church, Quebec City
- Saturday August 19th 2023, 2:00 PM – Saint-Benoît-du-Lac Abbey
- Sunday August 20th 2023, 3:00 PM – Virée classique OSM, Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts, Montreal
Mélisande Corriveau, pardessus de viole
Eric Milnes, harpsichord
PARDESSUS DE VIOLE : A musical voyage to the French Salons of the 18th Century
The exhilarating repertoire featured in this concert offers a vibrant sampling of works representing the evolution of the French styles that developed, co-existed, and competed for the favour of salon devotees and attendees of the Concert Spirituel series during the 18th century in France up to the Revolution. The pardessus de viole is particularly interesting as it was the last of the beauteous viola da gamba family to enjoy great popularity in France. The development of this instrument, known at the time as the “women’s violin,” coincided with the increasing prominence of its Italian counterpart in the French instrumental style. A rare opportunity to discover this infrequently performed repertoire!
- Saturday June 3 2023, 7:00 PM – Festival Classica, St-Barnabas Anglican Church, Saint-Lambert | More info >
- Saturday July 8 2023, 3:00 PM – Hammer Baroque, Hamilton, Ontario
- Tuesday July 11 2023, 2:00 PM – Music and Beyond Festival, AllSaints Event Space, Ottawa, Ontario | More info >
- Sunday July 16 2023, 6:00 PM – Sunday at Six Series, Canton Uniting Church, Cardiff, UK | More info >
David Jacques – theorbo guitar, mondolino and lyra guitar
VIVALDI : Flamboyant concertos with guitarist David Jacques
L’Harmonie des saisons presents a festive program dedicated to the concertos of Vivaldi, in which guitar, violin, cello, viola d’amore, lute and recorder are first and foremost.
The concerto is and remains one of the greatest creations of music history. To oppose one or several soloists to a larger ensemble allows for dynamic play, contrat of colours, textures and timbres that con only enchant one’s ears. It was Vivaldi, even though he did not invent it, that instaured for good the three movement form, fast-slow-fast, soon adopted all over Europe.
- Monday July 10 2023, 7:30 PM – Music and Beyond Festival, AllSaints Event Space, Ottawa, Ontario | More info >
Past Concerts
Antonio Vivaldi – Flamboyant concertos with guitarist David Jacques
L’Harmonie des saisons presents a festive program dedicated to the concertos of Vivaldi, in which guitar, violin, cello, viola d’amore, lute and recorder are first and foremost.
The concerto is and remains one of the greatest creations of music history. To oppose one or several soloists to a larger ensemble allows for dynamic play, contrat of colours, textures and timbres that con only enchant one’s ears. It was Vivaldi, even though he did not invent it, that instaured for good the three movement form, fast-slow-fast, soon adopted all over Europe.
- Friday July 1st 2022, 7:30PM – Église St-Patrice, MAGOG
Cantatas of J S Bach
Series : Les grands rendez-vous sacrés
BWV 162, BWV 6, BWV 30
L’Harmonie des saisons
Eric Milnes, conductor
April, 24 2022, 2.30 pm
Hall Bourgie of the Fine Arts Museum of Montreal
Vocal ensemble :
Denise Torre Ormeño, soprano
Bronwyn Thies-Thompson, soprano
Nicholas Burns, alto
Philippe Gagné, tenor
Kerry Bursey, tenor
Sumner Thompson, baritone
William Kraushaar, bass
REQUIEM : IN MEMORIAM
J. S. Bach and his predecessors
L’Harmonie des saisons
Eric Milnes, director
To celebrate All Saints’ Day, L’Harmonie des saisons will presents a wonderful program dedicated to the german baroque music of J.S. Bach and his predecessors. Works by Weckmann, J.C. Bach, Bernhard, the Actus Tragicus cantata of J.S. Bach and the Biber Requiem will be presented.
- Saint-Dominique Church in Quebec City, Friday October 28th 2022, 7:30PM
- Saint-Benoît-du-Lac Abbey, Saturday October 29th 2022, 2:00PM
Vocal ensemble:
Ian Sabourin
Philippe Gagné
Kerry Bursey
Clayton Kennedy
McCARTNEY BAROQUE
L’Harmonie des saisons
Eric Milnes, director
Director and arranger Eric Milnes comes back to the Beatles Baroque project he created over 20 years ago in which he masterfully arranged some of the Beatles’ greatest hits for an ensemble of voices and baroque instruments.
In this updated version, Mr. Milnes adds four voices to what was initially a purely instrumental approach, and dives into Paul McCartney’s songs to honour his 80th birthday.
- Fundraiser : Thursday November 17th 2022 in St-George Church, Granby, 7:30PM
- Alphonse Desjardins Theatre in Repentigny (Aramusique) Friday November 18th 2022 , 8:00PM
Soloists :
Denise Torre Ormeño, soprano
Nicholas Burns, alto
Philippe Gagné, tenor
Jeffrey Thompson, tenor
Sumner Thompson, baritone
William Kraushaar, bass
THE MESSIAH : An oratorio by G.F. Haendel
Soloists, choir and period orchestra
Eric Milnes, director
In preparation for Christmas, our interpretation of this famous oratorio has become a yearly tradition. Come celebrate with us this 5th tour of MESSIAH: a masterpiece for the holidays!
- Saint-Dominique Church, Quebec city, Thursday December 8th 2022, 7:30PM
- St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Ottawa, Friday December 9th 2022, 7:30 PM
- Saint-Benoît-du-Lac Abbey, Saturday December 10th 2022, 2:00 PM
- College Street Congregational Church, Burlington, VT, Sunday December 11th 2022, 4:00 PM *SOLD OUT* and 7: 30 PM
Denise Torre Ormeño, soprano
Philippe Gagné, tenor
Grégoire Jeay, flutes and percussions
Mélisande Corriveau, recorder and viola da gamba
Felix Deak et Margaret Little, viola da gamba
Antoine Malette-Chénier, harp
David Jacques, guitars
Eric Milnes, harpsichord and organ
CAROLS FROM BOTH OLD AND NEW WORLDS
Radio-Canada, EuroRadio
Arrangements and direction Eric Milnes
This special program was conceived at the request of Radio-Canada, who selected our ensemble to represent Canada for an EuroRadio Christmas special which will be presented across european radios and their partners. This concert will be recorded in front of a live audience at Église de la Visitation (Montreal), in association with Radio-Canada and the Ahuntsic Maison de la Culture.
- Église de la Visitation, Friday December 14th 2022, 7:30 PM
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Broadcast on ICI Musique classique: Saturday December 24, 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM, as part of the EuroRadio Christmas Special
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Broadcast on ICI Musique: Sunday December 25, 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Soloists:
Ariadne Lih, soprano
Nicholas Burns, alto
Philpppe Gagné, tenor
Sumner Thompson, baritone
J. S. BACH CANTATAS
BWV 27 – BWV 155 and BWV 194
Soloists and orchestra playing on period instruments
Eric Milnes, Director
- Saint-Patrice Church in Magog, Saturday February 25th 2023, 2:30 PM
- The Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Sunday February 26th 2023, 2:30 PM
Eric Milnes, muscial direction and organ
Denise Torre Ormeno, Janelle Lucik, sopranos
Philippe Gagné, Kerry Bursey, tenors
Sumner Thompson, baritone
William Kraushaar, bass
Les Voix humaines Viol Consort:
Mélisande Corriveau, Jessy Dubé, Felix Deak, Susie Napper
MEDITATIONS
Music for the Royal Chapel of Versailles
L’Harmonie des saisons & Les Voix humaines Viol Consort
Contemplative sacred music for the penitential season of Lent, the period of solemn preparation before Easter, featuring vocal and instrumental works by distinguished composers who served at the Court of Louis the XIV.
- Saint-Benoît-du-Lac Abbey, Saturday March 11th 2023, 2:00PM
- Saint-Dominique Church, Quebec City, March 12th 2023, 4:00PM
VIVA VIVALDI
Festive music for Spring
An all-Vivaldi programme with celebratory arias performed by JUNO Award winning soprano Hélène Brunet, with the ever delightful concertos The Four Seasons.
- Friday May 5th 2023, 7:30 PM – Saint-Dominique Church, Quebec City
- Saturday May 6th 2023, 2:00 PM – Saint-Benoît-du-Lac Abbey