Paul Agnew conducts an amateur choir

During the tour of the Fifth Book of Monteverdi’s madrigals, Paul Agnew conducted the Choeur du Donjon in two works related to Les Arts Florissants’ concert program: two scherzi musicali by Monteverdi.  

For Les Arts Florissants’ Associate Musical Director, who sometimes feels that “musicians land like aliens in concert halls,” this encounter with amateur singers was another way of sharing music. 

Working on the text, the meaning, the pronunciation and the context of the music allows both singers and instrumentalists to play in such a way as to “communicate” with the audience, an approach that Les Arts Florissants have defended since their founding.

To crown the work of the Choeur du Donjon and of their choirmaster, Jacques Vidal, their performance, conducted by Paul Agnew and accompanied by the musicians of Les Arts Florissants, was presented at the opening of the concert of the Fifth Book of Monteverdi’s madrigals at the Quai des Arts, Argentan, on 29 May 2013.