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DISCOVERY CD
4 short masses
ensemble MODULATION’s first album
by HÉLÈNE BOUCHER
Asurprising album has just been
launched by a group of passionate
choristers and their artistic
director. It features repertoire
from the French Romantic tradition
for equal-voice choir. On March 31 st , at
St. George’s Anglican Church, the MODULA-
TION female vocal ensemble released their
first album—after 20 years in existence. The
disc features four composers: Fauré, Delibes,
Ropartz, and La Tombelle and was made with
the support of organist Jacques Boucher and
soprano Anne-Marine Suire. Lucie Roy, the
founder and director of the ensemble, revels
in the realization of this project.
Two decades of
MODULATION
Ensemble MODULATION was established in
1991 with the desire to form a women’s choir
composed of amateur singers. These women
sing with passion, are dedicated to choral
singing, and succeed in performing high-calibre
works. Each member has a job outside the
choir, personal commitments and career
changes, but when they meet, the magic of harmony
comes alive. They are twelve singers,
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APRIL 2012
each with their own musical
background, who are committed
to the ensemble on a
weekly basis. “These women
have jobs and busy schedules,
but they are putting in hard
work vocally and are fully engaged
in the ensemble,” says
Lucie Roy, the head of MOD-
ULATION for the past 15 years.
The role is a real privilege for Roy, who gets to
wear the hats of both accompanist and director.
A core group of singers that adopt the technique
of its director has evolved within the
ensemble over the last eight years. New voices
are grafted around the core of twelve singers.
The choir distinguishes itself through its vocal
expressiveness and the originality of its repertoire.
Confidence and excellent interpretation
unites them all. Since 1991, MODULATION
has seen sparser periods, with less than 10
singers at times. But with the release of its
album on the Espace 21 label, (a project carried
out between the summer and end of 2011
in collaboration with the Palazzetto Bru Zane,
the centre of French Romantic music) the
group holds a place in the Quebec music scene
more than ever.
PHOTO Chantal Poulin
4 short masses at the heart
of the French Romantic
repertoire
The very nature of these fourshort masses
makes for a rare album. A romantic French
repertoire unites the two sides of the Atlantic.
One follows contact with the granddaughter
of the French composer Fernand de
La Tombelle, who shared an early work of his
with Boucher, who is in Quebec. Roy wanted
this link between France and Quebec to be expressed
through the album. Another unique
feature of the album: each piece—Léo Delibes’
(1836-1891) Messe brève, Gabriel Fauré’s
(1845-1924) Messe basse, Guy Ropartz’s
(1864-1955) Messe brève en l’honneur de
sainte Anne and Fernand de La Tombelle’s
(1854-1928) Messe brève—was designed by
the composer specifically for a choir of equal
voices. Hearing the musical harmony of female
equal-voice choir will appeal to music
lovers. For this album, MODULATION benefited
from the acoustics of the cathedral of
Saint-Hyacinthe, its exceptional Casavant
organ, and the talent of Boucher. Boucher has
also recently produced an album
under the same label of La
Tombelle’s oratorio, Les Sept
Paroles de Notre Seigneur Jésus-
Christ, a world premiere recording.
The organist of the
Saint-Jean-Baptiste church and former
Dean of the Faculty of Music at
the Université de Montréal brings a
unique touch to these 4 short
masses by adapting the scores to
the twelve voices of MODULATION. For Lucie
Roy, the opus will allow fans of choral music to
discover the magnificent work of Guy Ropartz,
one of her particular favourites.
The future of
equal-voice choral singing
This year Ensemble MODULATION celebrates
two decades of singing, its first album,
as well as the 15-year appointment of its director
Lucie Roy. Already, the idea for a second
album has been discussed. For now, the
challenge is to expand the horizons of equalvoice
repertoire. The solidarity uniting each of
the women of MODULATION foretells a
happy future. The year 2013 may bring new
concerts. To go further and conserve the
unique bond of trust between them: this is
what guides the choir into the future…
LSM
TRANSLATION: LAURA BATES