Recorded at the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica in Ottawa, the Caelis Academy Ensemble, under the direction of Matthew Larkin, presents Messe Solennelle — a sweeping exploration of the French sacred tradition spanning the late Romantic era to the height of 20th-century modernism.
At the heart of the program stand two monumental settings of the Mass Ordinary: Louis Vierne’s Messe Solennelle, Op. 16 (1901) and Jean Langlais’ Messe Solennelle, Op. 67 (1951). Both works, conceived for the grandeur and acoustical splendor of the French cathedral tradition, reveal the dramatic interplay between choir and organ — alternately luminous, thunderous, mystical, and intimate. Within the soaring Gothic space of Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, these works resonate with particular power and architectural clarity.
Vierne’s setting is vivid and symphonic in scale, rich with harmonic colour and dramatic gesture, while Langlais draws upon plainsong-inflected melodies, modal language, and striking parallel sonorities to create a sound world that is at once ancient and modern.
Between these pillars of the repertoire, the program reflects the spiritual and artistic lineage of French organist-composers:
• Olivier Messiaen’s O sacrum convivium (1937) — a radiant motet in F-sharp major, expressing what the composer described as “the mystical experience of superhuman love.”
• César Franck’s Panis Angelicus — one of the most beloved Eucharistic motets of the 19th century.
• Franck’s Chorale No. 2 in B minor, performed by Nathan Jeffery — a monumental organ work built as a continuous chaconne, blending chromatic richness with structural mastery.
• Gabriel Fauré’s Messe Basse — intimate, diatonic, and tender, offering a contrast of youthful lyricism against the more harmonically complex language of his later years.
• Langlais’ Hymne d’action de grâce: Te Deum — a brilliant organ companion to his Mass.
Rooted in the cathedral liturgical tradition yet presented in concert form, this program traces a powerful arc through faith, suffering, transcendence, and renewal. The French modern school of sacred composition emerges here in all its colour and depth: mystical, translucent, complex, celebratory, and profoundly life-affirming.
Founded in 2017, the Caelis Academy Ensemble is one of Canada’s premier concert choirs, dedicated to the great cathedral tradition and performing internationally, including recent residencies at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.
CAELIS ACADEMY ENSEMBLE
Founding Director | Matthew Larkin
Eva Friesen | Associate Director
Nathan Jeffery | Organ, Associate Conductor
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