October 9, Friday, 6 pm
Lėlė Puppet Theatre, Arklių g. 5
Les Tisserands
A blend of traditional, early and jazz music
AMORROMA Belgium
- Jowan Merckx flute, bagpipes, gaita, compositions
- Rheidun Schlesinger Celtic harps
- Bert Van Reeth bouzouki
- Philippe Laloy soprano saxophone
- Vincent Noiret double bass
- Els Van Laethem vocals
- Liam Fennelly fiddle, viola da gamba
- Jurgen De Bruyn lutes
In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Cathars formed an important spiritual movement, which manifested itself in
the whole of Europe, from England to Turkey. Averse to all dogmas, they aimed at elevated human values, such
as austerity and noblesse de coeur. In Flanders, the Cathars were sometimes called phiphles
or flute players, in France parfaits, bonhommes or tisserands (weavers), as the
weawer’s circles were known to adhere to the Catharist ideas. They were persecuted by the Inquisition
for heresy, and finally brought down in the Fortress of Montségur in the French Pyrenees. Catharism also
flourished in Occitania, the region where the same time the troubadour repertoire developed.
Next to some of their medieval texts and melodies, the melodies composed by Jowan Merckx serve as a source
of inspiration for this programme. The ensemble’s arrangements of these melodies stand out for their variety
of textures and colourfulness. They are reminiscent of earlier musical styles from the Baroque and Renaissance
periods, and of traditional music forms.
For the Cathars, AMOR (love) was a positive word and ROMA (Rome), a symbol of power and oppression, a negative one. By combining these two words into one, the Amorroma traditional music group aims to create a tension between good and evil, happy and sad, longing and content, progressive and conservative, peaceful and vehement.
Founded in 1996, the Zefiro Torna early music ensemble consists of musicians who have won their spurs in ensembles such as the Huelgas Ensemble, Collegium Vocale, Capilla Flamenca and Het Muziek Lod. Combining authenticity and creativity, the ensemble brings to life the cultural heritage in a unique fashion and with a deep respect for the past. Their performances incorporate literature, theatre and contemporary or ethnic music, and are at times thematic and at other times strongly conceptual or experimental and always show a strong sense of inspiration.
Since 2001, the Traces group has been experimenting with jazz, classical and world music. Their repertoire ranges from original compositions to new arrangements of European traditional music. Free interpretation and improvisation, and essential elements of jazz play an important role in their performances, and oriental influences lead us into a musical universe with strong melodies and enchanting rhythms.
The three Flemish groups meet in a programme imbued by the spirit of Catharism.