Canticum Novum

This new show for young audiences is an imaginary, initiatory and inner journey into the mind of a mischievous and energetic granddaughter, Nour. To overcome her phobia of thunderstorms, she recalls happy family memories: the voices of her parents, the sweet smells of childhood, the touch of silk; buried sensations resound like so many sweet and reassuring moments of the past. But tonight, as the storm rumbles and the tempest rises, Nour will have to draw on her resources and her memory to find the strength to face her anxieties and grow up.

A multidisciplinary musical tale

The music of this show is at the crossroads of the traditional repertoires of the Silk Road (music from Eastern Europe, Turkey, Syria and Persia) and the cosmopolitan identity of Canticum Novum. For several years now, the ensemble has liked to evoke the cultural crossroads that was the ancient Near East by underlining the musical impregnation of the cultures involved. This show is enriched by new creations by Alyosha Regnard.

The story is imagined as snapshots of life, in resonance with the graphic, musical and dance creations. It forms the narrative thread that weaves the various media together. Voice-overs also bring to life the many characters who appear on the pages.

Dance is a gestural language to tell one's story, to tell one's emotions beyond words in a bodily dialogue between contemporary dance and traditional Middle Eastern dances.

The illustrations evoke the themes of daily life, from small street jobs to the intimacy of the home, from the market to the tannery. The child looks at what surrounds him and gradually opens his horizon. The intimate and singular images deposited in this imaginary notebook are recorded to bear witness but also to save certain precious moments from being forgotten.

Creation April 2023 at the Saint-Étienne Opera (France)
For ages 6 and up
Duration : 50 minutes

Cast
4 musicians and 1 dancer
Canticum Novum
Emmanuel Bardon, musical direction

Anasma, dance
Emmanuel Bardon, singing
Luce Courceulles, harp
Aliocha Regnard, nyckelharpa, compositions
Henri-Charles Caget, percussion

Creative team 
Anasma, choreography
Élodie Chan, writing, directing
Judith Chomel, illustrations
Adrian Tissot, graphic animation
Hervé Recorbet, set design, lighting
Guillaume Blanc, video
Angeline Bouille, external view
Aliocha Regnard, compositions
Henri-Charles Caget, compositions and arrangements
Clara Ognibene, costumes

Joséphine Bouchand - Nour / Off voice
Nadyne Chabrier - The grandmother / Off voice
Angeline Bouille - The mother / Off voice
Noel Faure - The father / voice-over
Carlo Bondi - The grandfather / voice-over