Ensemble Gilles Binchois « Cantus Records

Ensemble Gilles Binchois

There is no one and only Ensemble Gilles Binchois. Their flexibility and versatility are such that this multi-awarded ensemble seems to be always a different vocal or instrumental group under the same basic guidelines in each of their Cantus CDs. As a vocal ensemble specializing in medieval music, nobody has ever sung Gregorian chant with the subtlety and elegance of this group, and no other performers have given to the repertoire of Notre Dame such a variety of colours or refined rhythmic variety, and of course no other ensemble has restored its original serenity, peace and emotion to Machaut’s Messe de Nostre Dame (Guillaume devised it to be sung in his memory and that of his brother through the centuries).

And what can be said about the ensemble instrumental renderings? Great specialists as Randall Cook and Pierre Hamon always have given a particular colour and authenticity to their interpretations of French medieval music, from the trouvère repertoire of "Les Escholiers de Paris" to our legendary, best-selling Machaut albums.

To give the names of the ensemble members is to list the "who's who" in early music: together with director Dominique Vellard we’ll find figures like countertenor Andreas Scholl, mezzo Lena Susanne Norin, tenor Gerd Türk, Brigitte Lesne (Discantus, Alla Francesca), Emmanuel Bonnardot (Obsidianne), or the aforementioned Cook and Hamon, an impressive florilegium of some of the most representative names of today’s medieval music performance.