Saints & Kings: Richard the Lionheart.

Saints & Kings: Richard the Lionheart.

In November 1187, after Jerusalem was taken by Saladin and the Latin king, Guy de Lusignan, was taken captive, Pope Gregory VIII called for a crusade in order to recover the Holy Land. Ensemble Lauda proposes a musical journey through the paraliturgical records of England and France in the last years of the twelfth century; that tell us through music some of the most important events around iconic figures of the third crusade such as: Richard I of England.

By the middle of the twelfth century one of the main musical forms of high song was conductus. It was usually composed as a monody, with a single voice, or two, three and even four voices. The lyrics in latin of the conductus are composed to celebrate important religious, historical or political acts.

Format of six: Four instrumentalists, a declamator with texts in Latin and Provençal, and solist singers.

* Instrumentalists also sing in solo, duos and trio formats.

Duration: 1hour