Listen to what the Normans are singing.

A performance combining the presentation of medieval instruments, lutherie, and Anglo-Norman and Sicilian music with Arab influences during the time of the Norman kings. Les Prieurales and their emblematic ensemble Quarte&graal highlight a remarkable Norman instrumentarium developed over the past twelve years thanks to the support of the City of Le Havre. This project values a musical heritage reconstructed from historical sources, notably sculptures and medieval iconographies related to Norman history. Among these instruments is a reconstruction inspired by a sculpture from the abbey of Graville, created by Giuseppe Severini, a luthier based in Randazzo, Sicily. He is also known for his work on restoring instruments depicted in the paintings of the Palatine Chapel in Palermo. Built under the reign of Roger II, heir to the Norman conquest of Sicily, this monument testifies to the meeting of Norman, Arab, and Byzantine cultures. Its decor features numerous instruments such as the oud, rebab, qitara, santur, and zamar, which are now reinvented and performed by Giuseppe Severini and his wife Marilena. The encounter between the Norman instruments of Quarte&graal and those of Arab-Norman Sicily gives rise to an unprecedented musical dialogue. The sounds originating from Normandy, England, and the Mediterranean respond through the voices and instruments of the artists gathered for the occasion, illustrating the richness of cultural exchanges that shaped European history in the Middle Ages. For this exceptional program, the Quarte&graal ensemble brings together:
Evelyne Moser: bowed vielles, singing
Leah Stuttard: rote, singing
Marilena Severini: large tambourine, derbouka, singing and dancing
Giuseppe Severini: oud, rebab, santur, zamar, mezwed, vieras, singing
François Montaufray: guiterne, citole, qitara, singing The proposal is structured in two parts: a presentation of the instruments, their origins, historical representations, and the manufacturing techniques that enabled their reconstruction, followed by a concert. Anglo-Norman songs, Sicilian repertoires, and works of Norman trouvères blend together to revive an exceptional musical heritage, at the crossroads of the influences that have marked the history of Normandy and the Mediterranean region. Practical information: Open to all Duration: 1h30 Paid event Contact