As part of the Millennium of William the Conqueror, organised by the Normandy Region in 2027, Ensemble Correspondances is developing Les Quarante-Heures, an extraordinary musical and visual project, unlike any other in the French artistic landscape.

Inspired by a popular ritual that emerged in France and Italy from the 17th century onwards, this contemporary creation will take the form of a three-day performance weekend at Saint-Nicolas Church in Caen. For 40 hours, the church will become a living space, continuously animated by music, movement, light and material.

The project will bring together 40 musicians, singers and instrumentalists, alongside the children’s choir of the Pré-maîtrise du Théâtre de Caen, for six concerts performed by a large ensemble. These musical performances will be interspersed with intimate late-night sessions in smaller formations, ensuring that the space remains continuously inhabited by sound, presence and artistic movement.

At the heart of the creation, monumental wax sculptures by visual artist Juliette Minchin will gradually be consumed throughout the Quarante-Heures. Their slow transformation will enter into dialogue with the music and the movements of the participants, offering a sensitive meditation on matter, the passage of time, memory and ephemerality.

Participation is central to the project. Residents of the Grâce de Dieu neighbourhood will contribute to the creation through singing and choreography workshops, as well as opportunities to discover Juliette Minchin’s artistic practice. Working alongside the musicians of Ensemble Correspondances throughout the season, they will take part in the musical sessions and move through the church, creating an intimate dialogue between choreographic gesture and sound.

Spectators will be invited to move freely through the church at any hour of the day or night, discovering the music, the visual artwork and the space in ever-changing configurations. Les Quarante-Heures thus offers an immersive experience in which architectural heritage, Baroque music, contemporary creation and civic participation come together as one.

The Quarante-Heures performance weekend will take place on 28, 29 and 30 May 2027 at Saint-Nicolas Church in Caen.

By supporting Les Quarante-Heures, the Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund is supporting an ambitious project at the intersection of heritage and artistic creation, where art becomes a shared experience of time, memory and collective life.