François Couperin's 'Leçons de Ténèbres' (c. 1713-17), a setting of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, fused devotional expression with a dramatic performing style embodied here by sopranos Lucy Crowe and Elizabeth Watts. Two Trio Sonatas and a 'Stabat Mater' by Sébastien de Brossard round out this luminous programme.
La Nuova Musica was founded by its artistic director David Bates in 2007 whilst in residency at Snape Maltings and was hailed by BBC Radio 3 as "one of the most exciting consorts in the early music field". They are regular contributors at Aldeburgh Music, St John's Smith Square, London Handel Festival, Wigmore Hall and Spitalfields Music. Highlights of 2015 were a performance of 'Acis and Galatea' at SJSS which received a 5* review in The Times, describing it as "a reading that sparkled from the giddy overture to the consoling final chorus" followed by a concert performance of Cesti's 'Orontea', where "Bates' conducting had superb poise, and the cast was impeccable, with not a weak link anywhere" (The Guardian).
In 2016 LNM will also record Pergolesi's 'Stabat Mater' and Bach Cantatas with Lucy Crowe and Tim Mead. Concert performance highlights for 2016 include Handel's 'Berenice' at the Göttingen Internationale Händel Festspiele; their debut at the Salzburg Festival with Bejun Mehta; and an exciting collaboration with American choreographer Zack Winokur on Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' at the Brighton International Festival, with Dame Ann Murray singing the title role.

Track List:

Première Leçon
1 Incipit Lamentatio Jeremiae Prophetae 0:41
2 ALEPH. Quomodo Sedet Sola 2:16
3 BETH. Plorans Ploravit In Nocte 3:41
4 GHIMEL. Migravit Juda 1:50
5 DALETH, Viae Sion Lugent 2:28
6 HE. Facti Sunt Hostes 3:08
7 Jerusalem, Convertere 3:36
8 Sonate En Trio En Mi Mineur 7:07 - Brossard
Seconde Leçon
9 VAU. Et Egressus Est 2:11
10 ZAIN. Recordata Est Jerusalem 3:17
11 HETH. Peccatum Peccavit Jerusalem 1:54
12 TETH. Sordes Ejus 2:48
13 Jerusalem, Convertere 2:35
14 Sonate En Trio En La Mineur 5:04 - Brossard
Troisième Leçon
15 JOD. Manum Suam Misit Hostis 1:40
16 CAPH. Omnis Populis Ejus 1:46
17 LAMED. O Vos Omnes 2:38
18 MEM. De Excelso Misit Ignem 1:48
19 NUN. Vigilavit Jugum 1:56
20 Jerusalem, Convertere 2:06
Stabat Mater - Brossard
21 Stabat Mater Dolorosa 1:05
22 Cujus Animam Gementem 0:54
23 O Quam Tristis 1:49
24 Quae Maerebat Et Dolebat 0:37
25 Quis Est Homo 1:19
26 Pro Peccatis Suae Gentis 0:45
27 Vidit Suum Dulcem Natum 1:21
28 Eia Mater, Fons Amoris 1:37
29 Sancta Mater, Istud Agas 1:01
30 Tui Nati Vulnerati 0:59
31 Virgo Virginum Praeclara 1:38
32 Fac Ut Portem Christi Mortem 2:57

Performers:
Lucy Crowe (soprano)
Elizabeth Watts (soprano)

La Nuova Musica:
Miriam Allan, Zoe Brown, Katy Hill & Lucy Cox (sopranos)
Nicholas Scott, George Pooley, David Gould & Simon Ponsford (high tenors)
Simon Wall, Thomas Herford & Graham Neal (tenors)
James Arthur & Jonathan Brown (baritones)
Edward Grint, Tom Flint & Dingle Yandell (basses)
Bojan Čičić & Sabine Stoffer (violins)
Continuo: David Bates - tracks 1-20, Silas Wollston - tracks 21-32 (organ)
Alex McCartney (theorbo)
Jonathan Rees (viola da gamba)
Judith Evans (double bass)
David Bates (director)