Chamber Choir
Produced by Anima Nostra
Our Story
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The Dulci Jubilo chamber choir took root in Montauban, in the Toulouse region, in 2018. Christopher Gibert, the choirmaster and composer, is the driving force behind the project, providing leadership that synthesises creation and interpretation. This approach sets Dulci Jubilo apart from the rest of the French musical landscape, and firmly establishes this emerging ensemble as part of the choral revival in France.
With "gentle joy", as the ensemble's name evokes, these performers explore the choral repertoire of many countries and stylistic schools with sensitivity, dreaminess and precision, while varying the musical forms from 8 to 24 singers, a cappella or accompanied. Christopher Gibert's writing flourishes in programmes that give pride of place to the choir and the organ, with the help of organist Thomas Ospital, a long-standing companion of the ensemble and a performer of international renown.
Dulci Jubilo's first performances are of major works in the repertoire, and have already played an active part in raising the profile of choral music in France, setting a standard and establishing a new choral repertoire on the international stage.
Three contemporary monographs have already been recorded on the "Anima Nostra" label: in 2018, the album "Stabat Mater", devoted to the motets of Christopher Gibert (awarded five stars by Classica magazine); in 2022, "Sheng", works by Grégoire Rolland, at the confluence of Asian and Western cultures.
And in 2023, a collaboration with composer Thierry Escaich has given rise to concerts, a record and a video series: "Le Souffle de l'âme". This opus has been widely hailed by critics as "a deep dive into a captivating auditory experience" (Olyrix), or "a spellbinding musical dialogue" (France Musique).
Dulci Jubilo is in residence at Saint Eustache Church in Paris and at Beaulieu-en-Rouergue Abbey, Centre des Monuments Nationaux. These two prestigious places offer Christopher Gibert and Dulci Jubilo a choice setting in which to sublimate their voices.
CHRISTOPHER GIBERT
Artistic Director
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Originally from the Lot region of France, Christopher Gibert divides his musical life between choral conducting and composition. He studied at the Toulouse and Boulogne-Billancourt Conservatoires, where he was awarded two First Prizes with first-class honours in choral conducting and musical analysis. At the same time, he completed a Master's degree in musicology at the Université Paris IV Sorbonne on the religious works of Marc-Antoine Charpentier.
He then went on to perfect his conducting skills at the Pôle Supérieur de Rennes in Régine Théodoresco's class. There he benefited from the advice of prestigious conductors such as Pierre Cao, Valérie Fayet, Nicole Corti, Gildas Pungier and Nicolas André. He holds the Diplôme d'État de professeur de musique and the Diplôme National Supérieur du Musicien in choral conducting.
In 2013, Christopher founded the Dulci Jubilo chamber choir in Toulouse. He conducts numerous productions throughout France and regularly collaborates with other conductors and ensembles such as Mélisme(s) (dir. Gildas Pungier), Les Passions (dir. Jean-Marc Andrieu) and Matheus (dir. Jean-Christophe Spinosi).
He is commissioned by various ensembles to compose mainly choral works, as a result of his dual role as choral composer and performer. From 2015 to 2018, he was in residence at the Rocamadour Festival, where he created several works, including his Stabat Mater (produced by Label Anima Nostra). Ensembles such as the Maîtrise de Toulouse, the Mélisme(s) chamber choir, the Méliades vocal ensemble, the Exosphère ensemble and the Comet Musicke have already placed their trust in him. From 2022 to 2024, he will be in residence as a composer and guest conductor at the Abbaye de Sylvanès - centre culturel de rencontres.
Christopher Gibert is also artistic director of the Beaulieu-en-Rouergue Abbey Festival.
FRANCE MUSIQUE
Contemporary record of the week
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OLYRIX
“a spellbinding musical dialogue”
“The Dulci Jubilo Chamber Choir, directed by Christopher Gibert, adds a delicately animated breath.”
“The Dulci Jubilo Chamber Choir combines vocal precision with an almost operatic intensity.”
“its interpretations are as free as they are masterful: a deep dive into a captivating aural experience.”
“organist Thomas Ospital offers a soothing improvisation, a suspended moment in this album that he knows how to nourish with evocative and varied images and deploy in their powerful density. ”
“his interpretations are as free as they are masterful: a deep dive into a captivating aural experience.”
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C L A S S I C A
“Dulci Jubilo finds a fine balance of sound and offers equally fine interpretations in Gregorian as in the complex chords of Christopher Gibert, a composer to watch.”
“Christopher Gibert is only 26, but his Stabat Mater attests that he knows the lessons of all his elders, from Gregorian to Francis Poulenc.”
ASSOCIATED ARTISTS AND COMPOSERS
THOMAS OSPITAL
A native of the Basque country, Thomas Ospital has been titular organist of the grand-orgue at Saint-Eustache church in Paris since 2015. From 2016 to 2019, he will be the first organist in residence at Maison de la Radio.
His concert career takes him to France and abroad. Improvisation plays an important role in his musical practice; keen to perpetuate this art in all its forms, he notably accompanies silent films.
His first recording is devoted to works by Franz Liszt on the grand-orgue of Saint-Eustache (éditions Hortus, September 2017). Recorded on the organ of the Radio France auditorium, a second album released in January 2018 is devoted to improvisations and works by Johann Sebastian Bach set against Thierry Escaich's Chorals-Études, which he premiered.
Passionate about teaching, Thomas Ospital is regularly asked to teach interpretation and improvisation in masterclasses. Since 2017, he has been professor of keyboard harmonization at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, and since 2021 professor of organ alongside Olivier Latry.
Thomas Ospital began his musical studies at the Bayonne Conservatory with Esteban Landart, and continued them at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where he was awarded five first prizes. His teachers included Olivier Latry, Michel Bouvard, Thierry Escaich, Philippe Lefebvre, Fabien Waksman, Isabelle Duha and Pierre Pincemaille.
Winner of several international competitions (Saragossa, Chartres, Toulouse, Grand Prix Florentz de l'Académie des Beaux-Arts), he spent six months as “Young artist in residence” at the Cathedral Saint Louis King of France in New Orleans, USA.
M U L T I M E D I A
Le Tombeau de Clémence Isaure, ode à la ville de Toulouse - composition by Christopher Gibert.
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Chamber Choir Dulci Jubilo
Direction Christopher Gibert
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Label Anima Nostra
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Filmed in March 2021 in Toulouse
Air à boire Programme Music at the time of Louis XIII
in-house recording for the 400th anniversary of the 400 coups de Montauban festival
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Chamber Choir Dulci Jubilo
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Les Passions Orchestra
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Direction : Jean-Marc Andrieu & Christopher Gibert
3rd Motet by Thierry Escaich - recording at the Rocamadour Festival - August 2021
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Chamber Choir Dulci Jubilo
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Direction Christopher Gibert
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Organ Thomas Ospital
Salve Regina, commissioned for the inauguration of the Rocamadour organ - composition by Christopher Gibert.
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Chamber Choir Dulci Jubilo
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Direction Christopher Gibert
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Organ Thomas Ospital
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Soprano solo Clémence Garcia
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Label Anima Nostra
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Filmed in March 2021 in Toulouse
Stabat mater - produced with the support of Spedidam
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Chamber Choir Dulci Jubilo
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Direction Christopher Gibert
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Organ Thomas Ospital
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Soprano solo Clémence Garcia
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Baryton solo Philippe Estèphe
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Label Anima Nostra
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Filmed in March 2021 in Toulouse