La Romance de Ténébreuse Intégrale Iii

Charles Péguy and Julien Joubert have at least two things in common – they were both born in Orléans (separated by exactly a century) and both of them have a special relationship with the figure of Joan of Arc. At the age of 24, Julien Joubert read Jeanne d'Arc, a play written in 1897 by Charles Péguy – also aged 24 – who had just gained his teaching diploma. Péguy’s drama awakened in Julien Joubert the strong desire to compose. His first idea was to set it as a musical comedy, a crazy notion that he soon abandoned.

For Bernard Labadie, Le Chemin de Noël is the realization of a great dream inspired by the tradition of the annual Christmas concerts at the Chapel of King’s College in Cambridge, England. Named after the beloved annual concerts that Labadie has conducted in Quebec since 2016, Le Chemin de Noël is the conductor’s deeply personal reflection on the meaning on Christmas.