An original artistic project by Jacek Hałas and Francois Monnet realized annually since 2020 in central and northern France.
It is an intercultural dialogue and a search for the common roots of Europe’s heritage. The main premise is the encounter and a “site-specific” creative process – within an international team that evolves during the project. It is also a marriage of folk and sacred music from various regions of France and Eastern Europe, evoking the common denominator of the rich musical heritage of multicultural Europe.
Successive stages of artistic work culminate in concerts in Romanesque churches along the historic route La Route des Eglises Peintes du Bourbonnais in Auvergne and in other regions of France. The repertoire is developed each time in reference to the specific sacred building, its history, and acoustic characteristics.
As part of the project, in addition to visiting artists, we collaborate with local musicians. The Allier department is a unique region of France where the lutherie tradition is still alive, known for outstanding musicians playing medieval instruments such as the vielle à roue (hurdy-gurdy).
It is also a region where the tradition of playing for dance is still alive. As part of the exchange of musical experiences and the promotion of Eastern European cultural heritage, musical, vocal, and dance workshops, as well as ethnographic storytelling, are also held for the local community and artists participating in the project, based on the creative output of the artists participating in the Constellations Ephemeres project.
