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Wednesday, September 23, 2026 – 7:30 pm
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours
400, rue Saint-Paul Est
Montréal, H2Y 1H4
Bus : 170, 30, 350, 355, 364, 365
Metro : Champ-de-Mars
At the summit of the Catalan mountains, in the shadow of the Montserrat Monastery, pilgrims of the Middle Ages advanced to the rhythm of faith and music. This program explores the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, a 14th century manuscript that guided devotion through songs, prayers, and dances in Latin, Catalan, and Occitan, blending spiritual fervour with popular forms—virelais and circle dances. Performed by the ensemble COMTESSA on vielle, citole, organetto, tambourine and bells, this concert brings back to life a place of passage where travellers and pilgrims once gathered in musical communion.
Songs from the Llibre Vermell (c. 1399)
O virgo splendens (O Resplendent Virgin), canon for 3 voices
Stella splendens (Resplendent Star)
Laudemus virginem (Let Us Praise the Virgin), canon for 2 or 3 voices
Splendens ceptigera (Resplendent Sceptre-Bearer), canon for 2 or 3 voices
Cantiga de Santa Maria (c. 1260–1290), No. 311: “The Pilgrim Struck by Lightning”
Songs from the Llibre Vermell (c. 1399)
Los set gotxs (The Seven Joys)
Cuncti simus concanentes (Let Us All Sing Together)
Polorum regina (Queen of Heaven)
Cantiga de Santa Maria (c. 1260–1290), No. 52: “The Ibexes That Gave Their Milk to the Monks of Montserrat”
Songs from the Llibre Vermell(c. 1399)
Mariam, matrem virginem, attolite (Praise Mary, the Virgin Mother)
Imperayritz de la ciutat ioyosa (Empress of the Joyful City), virelai for two voices
Ad mortem festinamus (We Hasten Toward Death / Dance of Death)
Ensemble COMTESSA
Isabelle Douailly-Backman, vielle/ direction
Len Torrie, voice and citole
Maria Gajraj, organetto