The historic basilica of L’Épine will host a rare early music performance on Saturday, August 15, 2026, featuring baroque violin, cornett, and renaissance organ. Presented by the Cordis & Organo collective under their Orgue & Musiques Anciennes series, the afternoon concert starts at 17:00 and explores the vibrant musical landscape of 16th- and 17th-century Europe, stretching from Venice to the Baltic Sea.
Audiences attending the mid-August program can expect an intricate repertoire showcasing works by prominent Renaissance and Baroque composers, including Andrea Falconieri, Giovanni Maria Trabaci, Giovanni Battista Buonamente, Antonio Martín y Coll, Francesco Turini, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Heinrich Scheidemann, and Heinrich Schütz. The performance structure alternates between solo organ pieces and collaborative ensemble works uniting violin, cornett, and basso continuo.
Bringing this historical soundscape to life are three established specialists in early music performance: Alice Julien-Laferrière on baroque violin, Marc Pauchard on cornett and flute, and Jean-Christophe Leclère on the organ. Their collaboration highlights an ongoing European revival of period-accurate performance practices, utilizing historical instruments designed to capture the authentic acoustic textures of the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
Meet the European Baroque Virtuosos
Alice Julien-Laferrière built her reputation as a sought-after interpreter of 17th- and 18th-century repertoires after training at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon. Her career includes collaborations with prominent early music ensembles such as Ground Floor, Faenza, L’Achéron, and Les Traversées baroques. Beyond her performance work, she founded the Ensemble Artifices, teaches at the conservatory in Chalon-sur-Saône, and has directed the Festivités et l’Académie de la Turbine since 2021.
Fellow performer Marc Pauchard brings deep expertise in historical wind instruments, having studied cornett and flute under noted masters William Dongois, Bruce Dickey, and Conrad Steinmann. Pauchard performs regularly across Europe with various specialized early music ensembles and shares his knowledge as an instructor at the Schola Cantorum de Bâle in Basel, Switzerland.
Program Highlights and Venue Details
The concert takes place inside the magnificent setting of the Basilique de L’Épine, located in the Marne department of France (postal code 51460). Organizers have confirmed that admission to the event is free of charge. Instead of purchasing tickets, attendees are invited to support the musicians and the series voluntarily via collection baskets placed near the grand organ and at the back of the nave.
The Orgue & Musiques Anciennes season continues at the basilica in the weeks following the August performance. On Sunday, September 6, at 17:00, organist Nicolo Sari from Venice will present a solo organ recital titled “Guerre et paix” (War and Peace) under the same free-admission format. Later in the autumn, on Saturday, October 3, at 20:30, the basilica will host “Santa Maria,” a program dedicated to Marian chants from the Mediterranean basin featuring the Occitan ensemble La Soubirane alongside organist Jean-Christophe Leclère. Tickets for the October performance are priced at a flat rate of 20 euros, with free admission offered to school children and students through advance reservations handled by La Comète.
Practical Information for Attendees
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