In Morlaix, who are these contemporary poets, archaeologists and harpsichordists? – Morlicks

Based in Morlaix since February 2023, Julien Cuvilliez and Audrey Lecurgne, researchers in the study of paleomusicology “indigenous European instruments, with a strong affinity for Celtic antiquity and the harp. They lead a research unit based in Morlaix, the Pole Research, Interpretation and Experimental Archeology (PRIAE), which It includes 50 international specialists jointly with the University of Montpellier 3 and Itemm (European Technical Institute for Musical Professions) of Mann.As a recent trip to Egypt to prepare the inventory of the Cairo Museum’s instrumental collections, they lead every year several expeditions around the world “to reconstruct, inventory, study and transmit the practices of the music of antiquity and Al-Wusta”. The work of a group intended for both scholars and the general public.

PRIAE’s multidisciplinary research team blends the humanities (archaeology, ethnology), “hard sciences” (wood dating, volume measurement, mechanics, acoustics, 3D digitization, etc.) and several professions. A Blend of Skills “brings all approaches together to understand the structure of an ancient instrument without manipulation or sampling. It is a non-invasive study method of reproducing isomorphically and trying to understand through experimentation how to use it. Until you freeze it forever, like Alan Stifel’s harp, digital in 3D.”

The self-taught couple, “like interpretation, the side of the blank slate, often demand access to collections of indeterminate objects, because one can discover tools there, such as a singing sword.” They also cite “the oldest representation of an instrument in Brittany,” a “lyre,” an Iron Age figurine, found in 1988 in Poole (22).

At the same time, in the “Skald” violin workshop (named after the poets in the North), the couple makes instruments: harpsichords, flutes, but also harps, “a real specialized occupation since there are only about a dozen in the world who make.” The precious knowledge that has earned them Receiving students from the Goblin School or the Bull School.

Their clients are “concert artists, collectors, storytellers such as Ozégan, one of the oldest storytellers in Brocéliande, whose harp required a year’s labour”, and theater companies, museums and cinema, for whom they are consultants.

“Our journey is to reconstruct instruments as close to reality as possible for historical festivals or museums in the Middle Ages. Or a modern tailor-made adaptation of instruments in the style of the era ?, with a microphone or sculpture to match the personality of the musician. Without forgetting the original creations of opera singers … “

“The lyre has long been associated with the sacred and, with its simplicity, gives primitive music that indicates primitive roots. It was used to accompany the story, as the music was a support for the word, like the poet’s repertoire.”

So making guitars is fine, but you still have to know how to play them. From their first demo class in 2014, to the creation of their own music school, La Lirie Academy. In 2017, there are now 500 students taking online courses “for this tool like no other”.?

Julian and Audrey also want to create a “mixed course, scientific and artisanal, with a real methodology,” because “experimental archaeological musicology applied to instrument making makes it possible to highlight through practice what hypotheses leave in the shadows.”

Finally, “to put the harp back in its place in the current scene”, Julien Cuvilliez creates his production and artistic direction company “Ar bard”, which composes performances, concerts or soundtracks for films, such as the medium-length film “Le Gallic Pact (2021)” or “Odyssey”, a mural currently in festival depicting the history of mankind for a Belgian archaeological museum.

The musician with multiple collaborations (Alan Stifel at the Motocultor Festival, Carlos Nunez at the Interceltic Festival), who plays rock metal at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany as well as classical music for film orchestrations, “aspires to other directions such as science fiction. His concert will take place Coming on May 20 during the Night of the Museum in Saint-Germain-en-Laye for an exhibition on the world of Clovis We tell you: nothing stops this poet of the twenty-first century!

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Julian Cuvilliez, tel. 06 81 82 15 95 or email: [email protected]; www.priae.fr ; atelier-skald.com ; ar-bard.com ; lyre-academy.com