Balsam Zefiro Torna

• Hildegard von Bingen (1098 - 1179):
• 1O Spectabiles Viri03:06
• Jowan Merckx:
• 2La rosée de larmes03:34
• 3Sous le noyer04:15
• Philippe Laloy (b. 1969):
• 4Les roses de Saadi05:30
• Jowan Merckx:
• 5A un lilas04:41
• Raphaël De Cock:
• 6Yggdrasil / Fosseganger07:19
• Guillaume du Fay (1397 - 1474):
• 7Balsamus et Munda Cera04:10
• Jowan Merckx:
• 8Sous le figuier I00:56
• 9Purior in Vicis01:21
• 10Sous le figuier II02:48
• Els Van Laethem (b. 1973):
• 11Où rien ne bouge05:25
• Traditional:
• 12Le doux désir douloureux02:53
• Jowan Merckx:
• 13Meninas Vamos à Murta04:34
• 14Artemisia Absinthium (Polska)03:38
• Traditional:
• 15To Yasemi05:52
• Total Runtime01:00:02

Info for Balsam

The production Balsam was developed following the elaborate concert tours and international acclaim of ‘Les Tisserands’ and ‘O, Monde Aveugle!’. The hybrid collective consists of musicians coming from a wide range of musical genres such as ancient, traditional, ethnic and jazz music.

Herbs, flowers and plants with a medicinal effect, whose perfume becomes bottled emotion, that awaken desire, set in motion hallucinogenic transportations or poisonously lead to ruin, have been portrayed in literature, visual arts and music. The compositions from the program Balsam bear names such as Alchemilla/Lady’s mantle, les Roses de Saadi or Artemisia absinthium. They resound in the company of traditional songs from Portugal or Greece, Old Norse Edda songs about the Yggdrasil or tree of life, spiritual songs from Hildegard von Bingen and close-knit 15th-century music of Guillaume Dufay or the baroque splendour of Heinrich Schütz. They refer to texts of Virgil and Horace, or of the Song of Songs or verses by Charles Baudelaire or Emile Verhaeren.

Elly Aerden, vocals
Philippe Laloy, flutes, soprano saxophone
Jowan Merckx, recorders, French bagpipes, flugelhorn, percussion, ukelele, vocals
Raphaël De Cock, uilleann pipes, bawu, chatkan, kaval, Hardanger fiddle, harmonic flutes, Jew's harp, duduk, overtone singing, vocals
Jean-Philippe Poncin, B-flat clarinet, bass clarinet
Jurgen De Bruyn, lute, baroque guitar, chitarrone, vocals, artistic direction

Zefiro Torna
The vocal-instrumental ensemble Zefiro Torna brings to life the cultural heritage from the middle ages, renaissance and baroque in a unique way. The ensemble does not limit itself to a merely historical approach but combines it with other musical traditions, as well as literature, science, philosophy and current art expressions in the field of fine arts, theatre and dance. This results in fascinating pieces of ‘Gesamtkunst’ around a variety of symbolic or allegorical themes.

Therefore, the ensemble entered into dialogue with individual artists, directors, choreographers, composers and performers as Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven, Bram Bosteels, Brody Neuenschwander, Dick van der Harst, Ghalia Benali, Ief Spincemaille, Jeroen d’Hoe, Martin Valcke, Mauro Pawlowski, Sigrid T’Hooft, Stefaan Degand, Stevie Wishart, Timo Van Luijk, Tom Hannes and with ensembles as Abattoir Fermé, ARSENAAL/LAZARUS, Antwerps Kathedraalkoor, Figurentheater De Maan, Frank Vaganée Trio, Ialma, LOD, Pantalone, Psallentes, Ultima Thule, Vlaams Radiokoor/Hervé Niquet, Vocalconsort Berlin, ZOO/Thomas Hauert.

Through this approach, Zefiro Torna has gained international renown. The ensemble is a welcomed guest in prestigious (inter)national concert venues as Amuz, Bozar, Concertgebouw Brugge, De Bijloke, De Singel, Flagey, Handelsbeurs, Kaaitheater, Muziekgebouw aan ‘tIJ Amsterdam, Philharmonie Haarlem, Radialsystem V/Berlin, Vredenburg Utrecht, Wilminktheater Enschede and art and music festivals as Brosella, Charleroi Danses, Festival de Wallonie, Festival van Vlaanderen-Mechelen, Klarafestival, Laus Polyphoniae, MAfestival Brugge, Zomer van Antwerpen, Banchetto Musicale/Vilnius, Biennale Alter Musik/Konzerthaus Berlin, Concentus Moraviae, Festival de Musica Antigua de Sevilla, Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, Festival Seviqc-Brezice Slovenië, Frysk Festival, Gergiev Festival Rotterdam, Internationale Orgelwoche Nürnberg, Landshuter Hofmusiktage, Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, Operadagen Rotterdam, Theaterfestival Boulevard ’s-Hertogenbosch en Zeeland Nazomer Festival.

Their creations are regularly awarded and several of them have been released on the labels Et’Cetera, Warner Classics and Homerecords.

This album contains no booklet.