Reginald Mobley (countertenor), Baptiste Trotignon (piano)

During the long era when Bach, Mozart and Beethoven were creating the musical canon of Western Europe, the songs of African slaves resounded in the colonies on the other side of the Atlantic, expressing pain and longing, but also joy and the desire for freedom. As the origin of many musical forms associated with the United States of America, including jazz, gospel, blues, soul, funk, indeed all Afro-American music, the repertoire of 'Spirituals' are true hymns to resilience, whose beauty and strength of both lyrics and music symbolise hope and faith in humanity. This project’s aim is to do justice to this musical heritage and to honour its past performers.

The American countertenor Reginald Mobley, a rising figure in baroque music, notably under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner, and the French pianist Baptiste Trotignon, winner of numerous awards (Victoires du Jazz, Django d'Or) have combined their talents and sensibilities to celebrate these spirituals and the

music of Black composers and poets in a programme entitled "Because". A gathering of songs arranged or written by composers including H.T. Burleigh and Florence Price, most often re-composed with great freedom by the two performers. Very evocative traditional melodies (such as "Sometimes I feel like a

motherless child", "Deep river" and other anonymous "gospel songs") are mixed with the improvised piano, in an interactive and organic way.