More than 30 years ago, in a small apartment located in the heart of Montreal’s iconic bohemian quarter, the Plateau-Mont-Royal, three young musicians gathered around a spinet (i.e. a small harpsichord) and an ice cream to rehearse a piece by M.-A. Charpentier (1643–1704). The fortuitous meeting of Dorothéa Ventura and Jean-François Daignault within this small group sparked a friendship and collaboration that would leave an indelible mark on the Canadian and Quebec early-music scene.
Co-founders of the Alkemia Ensemble with vocalist Ghislaine Deschambault in 2002, Ventura and Daignault have since worked on numerous projects amid several Baroque and early music groups. This year, the two friends reunite for the second concert of the 2024–25 season of Les Idées heureuses—Jamais je ne t’oublierai: échos du Moyen Âge dans nos chants du terroir.
Venturing into the medieval and Renaissance repertoire, this concert ties in French-Canadian folklore with the secular and sacred works of Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179), Johannes Ciconia (1370–1412), Guillaume DuFay (1397–1474), and Josquin des Prés (c. 1440–1521). Symbolic themes such as the rose, the fountain, the bird, and the dance interlace to form the concert’s main thread, says Daignault, who was given free rein to conceive the event.
Among the folk songs on the program, Partons la mer est belle tells the tragic story of fishermen who must go to sea to survive, leaving their homes without knowing if they will ever return. “The refrain is very beautiful, almost joyful, but the underlying story is dark. The son announces that his father has died at sea, having gone fishing to feed his family,” says Daignault.
The local audience will recognize many popular songs, such as M’en revenant de la jolie Rochelle or À la claire fontaine. “These songs have been with me since childhood. They come back now as old friends.” In addition to performing on stage as a singer and multi-instrumentalist, Daignault will arrange the melodies for his colleagues Dorothéa Ventura (voice), Ghislaine Deschambault (voice), Leah Weitzner (voice, viola da gamba, vielle), and Antoine Malette-Chénier (harps and Renaissance flute).
“It’s a rare privilege to have a singer arranging vocal parts for us,” says Ventura, harpsichordist, singer, dancer, actress, and artistic director of Les Idées heureuses since 2023. “We don’t have to worry whether a passage is singable or not, as Jean-François has already tried it out.”
Self-taught as an arranger from the age of 15, Daignault is intrigued by the hidden meanings these seemingly simple tunes contain. “To understand the story behind each song, I research the historical or cultural references hidden in the lyrics.” Folk songs such as À la claire fontaine or J’ai cueilli la belle rose carry meanings that go beyond what we perceive today. “These songs were often warnings aimed at young girls, cautioning them against letting their ‘rose be picked’,” he explains.
Research and instrumentation are required for medieval and Renaissance works, which lack indications of instrumentation, articulation, tempo, or dynamics. “Sometimes, we don’t even know the composer, and the words placed under a musical line may not correspond to the correct voice. We must consult the original manuscripts to verify, as modern editions sometimes include debatable editorial choices,” he adds.
Teamwork and creativity play a vital role in preparing polyphonic pieces from this era. After researching the composers and the context of the works, the ensemble’s musicians experiment, sing, and evaluate interpretative possibilities in rehearsal. “This type of work could go on forever, as there are always adjustments to be made,” Ventura reminds us. “We sometimes need to let go of creative ideas that don’t fit the narrative.”
This collaborative process makes the entire process fun, interesting, and engaging for Daignault. Unlike other repertoires of Western classical music, preparing the interpretation of early music is highly interactive, the two musical partners agree.
Interaction also occurs on an emotional level when presenting folk repertoire that resonates nostalgically for much of the audience. “Many people will recognize tunes sung in their childhood and will see how they are connected to music written 500 or 600 years ago,” Ventura says. For Daignault and herself, tackling this repertoire in the 21st century brings a fresh perspective and elevates extraordinary poems and melodies that should not be overlooked.
Jamais je ne t’oublierai—on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m. at Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Fine Arts Museum.
