Country : Canada / United States Label : L.A.T.E. Genres and styles : Ambient / Contemporary / Early Music Year : 2020

Cantus, Descant

· by Alain Brunet

The Latin word cantus refers to singing, and the expression descant means a melody in the high register, usually sung or played over a basic melody. This is a two-voice polyphonic process developed in France and Italy nearly a thousand years ago. Inspired by this ancient concept, Sarah Davachi offers 17 pieces that are contemplative, meditative, sensual, conducive to meditation and relaxation. With a few exceptions, the Californian’s new project evokes sacred music from the Baroque and pre-Baroque eras… or perhaps not, on closer inspection. The frequent use of pipe organs leads to this perception, but it’s soon clear that the minimalist linearity of the proposals, the nature of their harmonic structures, and the superimposition of other electronic or instrumental sources (mellotron, piano, modular synthesizer, voice) testify to a truly contemporary compositional thought. That being said, these works aren’t very dissonant, generally subscribing to pre-contemporary melodic scales. Their textural treatment, however, has little to do with the Middle Ages or the Renaissance. In the last few years, moreover, it’s becoming clear that the organ is making a strong comeback in the world of contemporary music (instrumental or electronic), and Sarah Davachi is certainly part of this movement, as is Canadian composer Kara-Lis Coverdale, for example. Once again, we can see the astonishing affinity between early music and contemporary music, and Sarah Davachi provides luminous proof of this.

Latest 360 Content

Nuits d’Afrique: Bab L’ Bluz Summons The Desert

Nuits d’Afrique: Bab L’ Bluz Summons The Desert

Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Saïd Mesnaoui: Gnawa Fusion at the Heart of a Radiant Artist

Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Saïd Mesnaoui: Gnawa Fusion at the Heart of a Radiant Artist

Festival de Lanaudière | Paulus & Elias: Mendelssohn’s oratorios presented by Akamus

Festival de Lanaudière | Paulus & Elias: Mendelssohn’s oratorios presented by Akamus

Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Sousou and Maher Cissoko: love, through the kora and by the kora

Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Sousou and Maher Cissoko: love, through the kora and by the kora

Festival Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Sahad: The star of Dakar Shines on Balattou

Festival Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Sahad: The star of Dakar Shines on Balattou

Nuits d’Afrique | Femi Kuti & The Positive Force Live!

Nuits d’Afrique | Femi Kuti & The Positive Force Live!

Nuits d’Afrique | Les mamans du Congo x Rrobin

Nuits d’Afrique | Les mamans du Congo x Rrobin

Nuits d’Afrique | Manamba Kanté and Soul Bang’s, Guinea’s “Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Nuits d’Afrique | Manamba Kanté and Soul Bang’s, Guinea’s “Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Karma Glider – From the Haze of a Revved Up Youth

Karma Glider – From the Haze of a Revved Up Youth

Nuits d’Afrique | Sahad: Decolonising music, spirits and the land

Nuits d’Afrique | Sahad: Decolonising music, spirits and the land

Cammac music camp : where professionals and passionate amateurs meet through music

Cammac music camp : where professionals and passionate amateurs meet through music

Nuits d’Afrique | Yawo and The Music of The Desert Nomads

Nuits d’Afrique | Yawo and The Music of The Desert Nomads

Nuits d’Afrique | Zal Sissokho and Toumany Kouyaté, a Kora Highlight

Nuits d’Afrique | Zal Sissokho and Toumany Kouyaté, a Kora Highlight

Nuits d’Afrique | Wesli, One Foot in Haiti, One Foot in Canada

Nuits d’Afrique | Wesli, One Foot in Haiti, One Foot in Canada

Nuits d’Afrique | Fabrice Koffy and His Slam, in Full Band Mode

Nuits d’Afrique | Fabrice Koffy and His Slam, in Full Band Mode

Nuits d’Afrique | Daby Touré Restarts His Machine

Nuits d’Afrique | Daby Touré Restarts His Machine

Nuits d’Afrique | Stogie T, South African Rainbow, Hip-Hop, Soul, Rock, Jazz

Nuits d’Afrique | Stogie T, South African Rainbow, Hip-Hop, Soul, Rock, Jazz

Nuits d’Afrique | Mateus Vidal Reborn With Axé Experience

Nuits d’Afrique | Mateus Vidal Reborn With Axé Experience

Festival de Lanaudière | Chanticleer : To Polyphony And Beyond

Festival de Lanaudière | Chanticleer : To Polyphony And Beyond

Nuits d’Afrique | Less Toches, Three Nights in A Row

Nuits d’Afrique | Less Toches, Three Nights in A Row

Nuits d’Afrique | All the Peppers of Sauce Piquante Sound System

Nuits d’Afrique | All the Peppers of Sauce Piquante Sound System

Festival de Lanaudière | Collectif9 : contemporary music through groove and folk

Festival de Lanaudière | Collectif9 : contemporary music through groove and folk

Nuits d’Afrique | Jean Jean Roosevelt and The Afro-Realist Song

Nuits d’Afrique | Jean Jean Roosevelt and The Afro-Realist Song

Nuits d’Afrique | Daby Touré’s Montreal Cycle

Nuits d’Afrique | Daby Touré’s Montreal Cycle

Subscribe to our newsletter