Idrîsî Ensemble return to Cheltenham Music Festival for a second instalment of their extraordinary exploration of the sounds of the medieval Mediterranean. The ensemble are pioneering a fresh approach to historical performance with a repertoire built on newly discovered period manuscripts and UNESCO-protected and endangered traditions, all brought to life with spine-tingling passion, vivid expression and sheer vocal skill. They sing the Mediterranean, not as a border between distinct identities, but as a space of exchange, communion and evolution. Through their research in medieval literature, music archaeology and postcolonial historiography, they aim to complicate modern notions of identity. As the sole UK ensemble specialised in the performance of Old Roman chant, they offer a unique glimpse into the vocal traditions of late antiquity. James Weeks, director of the internationally renowned vocal ensemble EXAUDI, described their music as a ‘total gamechanger’ and ‘not mere escapist nostalgia, but a living, exploratory art of real power’.

Concert running time 120 mins, including interval

Idrîsî Ensemble

Thomas Fournil director