Monodies and polyphonies of Occitania

Experience the joy of singing in Occitan.

Monodies and polyphonies of Occitania

Occitan polyphony is making a big comeback. Groups like San Salvador, Barrut, Cocanha and Belugueta are making their mark with bold harmonies and innovative percussion work. But it’s important to remember the decades of dedication from music lovers who have been collecting songs throughout the Occitanie region in southern France. In Rouergue, the association Cordae-La Talvera has played a key role in keeping this heritage alive.
Guided by a vocal coach well-versed in this repertoire, you’ll dive into age-old stories: unhappily wed girls, river crossings, princes in love with shepherdesses and more. You’ll explore the vocal and musical intricacies of singing in the Occitan language as well as temperament, melismas, modes and timbre.

Biography

Pesnot

Emmanuel Pesnot, the son of a music-loving pastor and a piano teacher, rediscovered polyphony, especially Renaissance and Baroque music, after a career in radio. A graduate of the Tours Conservatory with training in choral conducting, he has sung with and directed ensembles performing everything from Bach’s motets to the multi-voice pieces of Debussy and Ravel. Emmanuel has a real passion for folk music passed down through oral tradition and has studied it with numerous masters. To bring this music to the stage, he started the Mundovox ensemble and the Brigade d’Intervention Vokale in Nantes. He is particularly drawn to Italian folk songs, Occitan music and the intricate harmonies of Sardinian, Georgian and Albanian polyphony. Today, Emmanuel spends his time mentoring polyphonic ensembles to share this rich musical heritage. He also gives talks on subjects close to his heart, like traditional music, the history of polyphony, the relationship between sound and meaning, and how language and culture intertwine.

Start and End Dates :

05/08/25

07/08/25

Level :

easy

Voicing :

Mixed voices

Language :

French

Country of the conductor :

Preparation :

Without preparation

Discovery (3 days, no final concert)