Released on October 17, 2025

For centuries, the figure of the Virgin Mary has inspired composers, whether from Gregorian tradition, Renaissance, or Contemporary music. This program, conceived and directed by Owain Park, highlights this continuity by juxtaposing the luminous polyphonies of Tomás Luis de Victoria, William Byrd, and Antoine Brumel with the more modern visions of Henryk Górecki, John Tavener, and Owain Park himself.

The pure, soaring harmonies of Renaissance masters, imbued with fervor and balance, find a fascinating echo in the works of the 20th and 21st centuries, where contemplation gives way to striking emotional intensity. Thus, Prière pour Marie by Owain Park and Stravinsky’s Ave Maria express this faith in a new light, at some times pure, other times bold.

L’Ensemble la Sportelle offers an experience where music becomes prayers, suspended between the past and the present, inviting the listener to an inner elevation carried by the richness of choral singing. This album is for those who wish to be transported by a sincere and profound interpretation, celebrating the timeless figure of the Virgin Mary.

Anonyme Pulcherrima Rosa
Igor Stravinsky Ave Maria
Neil Cox O Maria, Vernans Rosa
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki Veni, O Mater Terrae
Tomás Luis de Victoria Ave Regina caelorum
Antoine Brumel Sub tuum praesidium
Judith Bingham Les Saintes Maries de la Mer
Owain Park Prière pour Marie
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki O Mater Semper Alma
Edvard Grieg Ave maris stella
Hildegard von Bingen Alleluia, O virga mediatrix
Tomás Luis de Victoria Ave Maria a8
William Byrd Senex Puerum
Joanna Ward She Adored
Plainchant Alma redemptoris mater
John Tavener Mother of God here I stand
Pierre Villette Hymne à la Vierge