Ensemble Organum sounds like the physical weight of history. Forget the polite, ethereal 'angelic' choirs of modern classical music; this is earthy, muscular, and deeply resonant. Under the direction of Marcel Pérès, the group utilizes microtonal ornaments and deep, guttural drones that feel more like a physical vibration than a melody. It is music that occupies space, echoing through the vast stone chambers of French abbeys with a grit and intensity that feels almost prehistoric.
What truly distinguishes them is their 'experimental archaeology' approach. By incorporating vocal techniques from living oral traditions like Byzantine and Corsican chant, they strip away centuries of Western polish. The result is a sound that is both ancient and avant-garde, characterized by nasal vocal placements, sharp dissonances, and a sense of ritualistic urgency that most early music ensembles avoid in favor of prettiness.
Start with 'Chant Cistercien' to experience the pure, haunting power of their monophonic work. If you want something more harmonically complex and rugged, 'Chant Corse' offers a fascinating bridge between folk tradition and sacred liturgy. It is the perfect starting point for anyone who finds standard Gregorian chant too sterile and wants something with more blood in its veins.
Ensemble Organum is a group performing early music, co-founded in 1982 by Marcel Pérès and based in France. Its members have changed, but have included at one time or another, Josep Cabré, Josep Benet, Gérard Lesne, Antoine Sicot, Malcolm Bothwell. They have often collaborated with Lycourgos Angelopoulos and are influenced by Orthodox music. The group mainly focuses on the performance of music from the Middle Ages, including Beneventan, Old Roman, Gallican, Carolingian and Mozarabic chants. However, the repertoire includes renaissance polyphony as well as more recent works. The ensemble was formerly based at Sénanque Abbey and Royaumont Abbey. Since 2001 it has shared facilities in the precinct of Moissac Abbey with the Centre itinérant de recherche sur les musiques anciennes (Centre for Itinerant Research of Medieval and Early Music). In addition to musical performance, the ensemble also works with musicologists and historians on musical research from this period.
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