Five a cappella women’s voices

Formed in 1998 by its artistic director Laurence Brisset, the De Caelis Ensemble specialises in the performance of unaccompanied vocal works of the Middle Ages. The Ensemble’s passion for this little-known repertoire has resulted in a body of work that is based upon knowledge of original sources, of systems of notation and of the context of the works concerned.

Unlikely encounters

The Ensemble likes to spur unlikely encounters between the masters of the past and those of today. It places early music in a living and creative process, shedding new light on our heritage.

Ground of experimentation

Ground of experimentation and research into timbre, ornamentation and improvisation, De Caelis invites every season composers to discover the specificities of its directory.  The Ensemble is committed to the creation and performance of contemporary works and presents them in programmes intended to create resonances between two periods of great creative innovation: the Middle Ages and the present day.

Explores spaces

De Caelis explores spaces: the art of the singing a cappella offers a singular experience which takes shape as well in old places as in current rooms. The desire to transmit these past and present writings by the naked voice, at the same time fragile and powerful, remains the ambition of the Ensemble.

The De Caelis Ensemble enjoys the support of the DRAC Normandie, and the Normandy Region and receives the aid of ADAMI, SPEDIDAM, the Musique Nouvelle en Liberté and the Institut Français. It was awarded the Prix Liliane Bettencourt for choral singing (2016), and that Foundation will be supporting the Ensemble in the years to come. The Ensemble’s primary sponsor is Mécénat Musical Société Générale. De Caelis is a member of Profedim, the Federation of Specialized Vocal and Instrumental  Ensembles (FEVIS) and the Futurs composés network.