Fredons

Composed and premiered in 2015 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Ensemble Utopik in Nantes, Fredons is a work deeply rooted in the composer's early childhood memories. The score is built around a dramatic song from the Louisiana Bayous, which Betsy Jolas learned from her mother, Maria Jolas.

In this ensemble work with voice, fragments of French and English folk songs intertwine with tenderness to accompany the central Louisiana melody. The title suggests a quiet, intimate, and fragmented humming (fredonner), where sonic memory serves as the foundation for a refined exploration of both instrumental and vocal textures.