Jean Paul Poletti and members of the Men’s Choir of Sartene took us to the altar during their performance. He speaks to S S Balan about his musical journey aimed at unearthing the world
The five men stand in solidarity as if they are about to perform a religious ritual. They sing with utmost devotion, in tandem with each other’s pitch, radiating calmness. The rendition reflects the musical sensibility of the artistes.
The recital of sacred music, presented by the The Men’s Choir of Sartene, came all the way from the island of Corsica. Apart from Napoleon’s birth, it is through this music that we came to know stories of the island and the manner in which its people live.
Men’s Choir oscillates between the popular and sacred, attempting to convey a strong emotion, a sense of the Corsican soul and the mysteries of the island, in short what is invisible to the eye. They have been performing worldwide, including Mexico, China, Korea, United States, Austria, Belgium, Russia and Africa. Says Jean, the founder, “We travel to unearth the world, to see people and know their culture.”
Jean formed the group in 1995 from a mixed choir of amateur singers, interpreting the classical and Corsican repertoires. He says, “The inspiration to form the group came from the double cultural background of our members: classical music and traditional Corsican music. Our group performs sacred songs that the Franciscans composed in Sartene in the 18th and 19th centuries. We belt out traditional songs as well as our own compositions.”
Elaborating on sacred music, “In our island, sacred music is an oral tradition. It is sung a lot in churches during concerts, religious ceremonies and requiem masses. It’s there in our everyday lives. We consider ourselves lucky to be able to perform from Gregorian sheet music from the convents of Saint Come and Damien. This particular music has evolved over the years through oral tradition and now belongs to the living heritage of Sartene and of Corsica.”
Jean got his initial training in music from Vincent Orsini. He moved to Italy and stayed there till 1970, where he diligently studied counterpoint classes and harmony at the famous chorus school of Cantarum in Florence and Sienna.
For him composing music is like behaving with a woman. “We should behave properly, otherwise they won’t forgive. Also if you create something for them that should express the spirit of your soul,” he chuckles.
The Corsica choir takes an atypical place, in the musical universe, with all its classically trained singers giving a fresh sound to the traditional polyphony. Always on a quest, this group is constantly exploring new musical forms. “When we get a musical score, we have to work and work on it till we get the flavour we need. It’s fascinating to see the black and white musical scores transform into colours when we sing,” he says as if visualising a performance on stage.
The group is constantly inventing musical spaces nourished by the classical past but with a contemporary inspiration. “I love all that is human, humanity is a beautiful term for me,” Jean adds. He stays clear of politics. “Yes the politics in the region often influences its music and art. Politics is all about acquiring power. The politicians love and live for power. I can’t allow my music to deviate from the basic of our philosophy and religion.” The only icon he relates to is Mahatma Gandhi.
The group was in the capital city to perform at the Bikaner House ahead of The Sacred Pushkar Festival to be held in Pushkar, Rajasthan from December 10 to 11.