Psallentes ("those who sing") is a

Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe durin ...

ensemble founded in 2000 and based in

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

, Belgium.

Members

Psallentes consists of singers Conor Biggs, Lieven Deroo, Pieter Coene, Paul Schils and Philippe Souvagie and is directed by Hendrik Vanden Abeele. Psallentes has a lifelong association with early music ensembles

Capilla Flamenca Capilla Flamenca is a vocal and instrumental early music consort based in Leuven, Belgium. The group specialises in 14th to 16th century music from Flanders and takes its name from the historical Flemish chapel (capilla flamenca), the choir of the c ...

and Millenarium, with whom they made several recordings. In 2007, Hendrik Vanden Abeele founded Psallentes Feminae ("Psallentes Ladies"), consisting of Sarah Abrams, Helen Cassano, Lieselot De Wilde, Rozelien Nys, Rein Van Bree, Kerlijne Van Nevel and Veerle Van Roosbroeck.

Repertoire

Psallentes focuses on

Late Medieval The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

and

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

plainsong Plainsong or plainchant (calque from the French ''plain-chant''; la, cantus planus) is a body of chants used in the liturgy, liturgies of the Western Church. When referring to the term plainsong, it is those sacred pieces that are composed in La ...

and related

polyphony Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...

. From careful investigation and extensive use of original manuscripts,On 1 February 2008 the Flemish Community acquired the important Tsgrooten

Antiphonary An antiphonary or antiphonal is one of the liturgical books intended for use (i.e. in the liturgical choir), and originally characterized, as its name implies, by the assignment to it principally of the antiphons used in various parts of the ...

br>
Psallentes performed several extracts from this Antiphonary at the press conference announcing the acquisition. Psallentes gather evidence on how this music was performed. Hendrik Vanden Abeele's research at the University of

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...

focuses on the thorny and controversial problem of rhythm, memory as the major requisite for a good singer of chant, and the voice as a research tool. Interactions between research and performance result in ‘authentic’ as well as more present-day interpretations of plainsong.

Discography

*2001 - ''

Arnold de Lantins Arnold de Lantins ( fl. 1420s – before 2 July 1432) was a Netherlandish composer of the late medieval and early Renaissance eras. He is one of a few composers who shows aspects of both medieval and Renaissance style, and was a contemporary o ...

: Missa Verbum Incarnatum.''

with Psallentes, Clari Cantuli and Oltremontano. Ricercar 207. *2002 - ''

Pierre de la Rue Pierre de la Rue ( – 20 November 1518) was a Franco-Flemish composer and singer of the Renaissance. His name also appears as Piersson or variants of Pierchon and his toponymic, when present, as various forms of de Platea, de Robore, or de Vic ...

: Missa de septem doloribus. ''

and Psallentes. Musique en Wallonie 0207

*2002 - ''Musica Reservata. Endangered Sounds.''

and Psallentes. Alamire Foundation 2002. *2005 - ''

: Missa Ave Maria, Vespers.''

and Psallentes. MEW 0633. *2006 - ''Carmina Burana - Officium Lusorum''. Choeur de chambre de Namur, Psallentes, Chœur d'enfants de l'école de musique de Forbach. RIC 247. *2006 - '' Stephen of Liege, Etienne de Liège. In festo sanctissimae trinitatis''. Psallentes. RIC 24

*2007 - '' Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, Llibre Vermell''. Choeur de chambre de Namur, Psallentes,

Les Pastoureaux (literally: "The Shepherd Boys"), also known as the , is a Belgian choir of boys and men based in Waterloo, Belgium. It was established in 1974 and is currently conducted by Philippe Favette. Their repertoire includes works of sacred music as we ...

, Millenarium, directed by Christophe Deslignes. RIC 260.

References

External links

Psallentes official web site
{{authority control Belgian choirs Early music choirs Musical groups established in 2000