Synopsis
On the shores of Lake Memphremagog, in Quebec, stands the Abbey of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac. 27 monks live there, according to the precepts of the Rule of Saint Benedict. *Abbaye* proposes to meet them, though sound. A contrasting universe where sound and poetic encounters are staged between the microscopic and the immense, the prosaic and the spiritual, the anecdotal and the imaginary, the ancient world and the modern world.
A word from Tënk
Abbaye, from sound artist Louis-Olivier Desmarais, is a contemplative and ethereal sound experience, outside of time, yet ringing with a great harmony. Invited to the Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac for a multi-day spiritual retreat, the author took the opportunity to pull out his microphones, surveying the vast spaces and capturing a few meager, though essential, words from its pious residents. These words guide us, even when they are engulfed by the soundtrack which stretches endlessly, as if the notes will never die away in the infinite acoustics of the vaulted ceilings: the music encapsulating the intimidating grandeur of the site. The resonance of the long meditative chanting seems to move through both the thick walls of the building and the inner workings of the author as we follow behind, swaddled in peace. Without question, this is a sensitive piece where the audio serves as an emotional bard. With this work, Louis-Olivier Desmarais examines the relationship between sound and spirituality.
Delicately situated between music, field recordings and documentary, Abbaye was awarded the Prix Découverte Pierre Schaeffer at the 2017 Phonurgia Nova Awards.
Daniel Capeille
Sound recordist, sound designer and sound editor
