LIGHTEN MINE EIES

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​The year 1645 was a great loss for English music. In the midst of a civil war, William Lawes was killed on 24 September during the siege of Chester, a bastion defended by royalists loyal to Charles I. The 43-year-old death of Henry Lawes' younger brother was rightly perceived as a tragedy by the English music world of the time. His work is filled with lightning bolts of genius. Little known today by the general public, it shines through its inventiveness and the choice of the formations chosen. His Harp Consorts, probably composed for the private setting of the King who had several harpists in his ranks, illustrate this avant-garde and the composer’s creativity, leaving us with one of the first scores specially designed for the Harp. To accompany these works, we have chosen to present an even less known part of the work of William Lawes which attests well to the musician’s talent. Choice psalms, published posthumously by Henry Lawes in 1648, unveils sublime psalms set to music by his little brother for three voices and bass continues. Lighten mine eies, a program which borrows its title from some verses from a psalm attributed to King David (himself presumed harpist), proposes to associate with the Harp consorts these passionate vocal works, unjustly ignored, who seem to be able to touch us as William Lawes' own death did with his musician friends.

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The Lighten mine eies programme was reviewed by director Jeanne Desoubeaux and featured lighting design by Thomas Coux. The prologue was inspired by Vinciane Despret and is taken from her book Les morts à l'oeuvre (La Découverte, 2023).

The Lighten mine eies programme premiered at the Saint-Louis-en-l'Île festival and the Saintes festival on 17 and 21 July 2022. The album was recorded for the harmonia mundi label from 22 to 25 April 2024 in the monks' refectory at Noirlac Abbey, in partnership with the Noirlac Abbey Cultural Centre. The production of the disc was supported by the Centre National de la Musique's phonographic production grant, ADAMI's creation grant, the Caisse des Dépôts' Mécénat Musical and the Fondation Orange.

The ensemble Près de votre oreille is supported by the Société Générale foundation, its main patron.