Aedes joins up with the musicians of Les Siècles to perform this masterpiece of sacred music by the composer who has been their inspiration since the birth of the ensemble : Poulenc’s Stabat Mater. As he grapples with this huge musical fresco for choir, soprano solo and orchestra, Mathieu Romano seeks go beyond the image of the grieving Mother of God in order to connect with the message of hope which underlies the work.

The first part of the programme is a kind of journey of faith : Hope with Janequin ; desolation with Gesualdo ; confirmation with Pärt ; The Unanswered Question with Ives ; fervour with Messiaen. This gives way to the voice of Mary grieving over the death of her Son whilst still nurturing hope for the future. The audience enters into the music of this Stabat Mater in the spirit of the grieving Mother reaffirming her faith and illustrating the mystical ways in which God reveals Himself to mankind.