On 25 January at 20:00, the Old Cathedral of Salamanca will be the setting for an exceptional Gregorian chant concert as part of the European project REPERTORIUM. This unique event, funded by the Horizon Europe Program, will feature some of the chants recovered during the digitisation and cataloguing process carried out by the project, at the Atelier de Paleography Musicale de l’Abbaye de Solesmes, France. The concert will be performed by the prestigious group Schola Antiqua. It is a rare opportunity to enjoy sacred music in an incomparable setting, showcasing the commitment of the European Union and local institutions to preserving cultural heritage.
REPERTORIUM: A Project to Preserve European Musical Heritage
REPERTORIUM is an ambitious European project with the primary goal of preserving and disseminating Europe’s historical musical heritage. Five Spanish organisations are participating in this initiative: the Higher Polytechnic School of Linares at the University of Jaén, the Complutense Institute of Musical Sciences, Complutense University, the University of Alicante, and the Hispanic Association for the Study of Gregorian Chant. This project, involving a total of 13 institutions and companies from eight countries, is creating a system based on open-source Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to facilitate the digitisation and cataloguing of historical musical archives.
Recovered Gregorian Chants
Thanks to the system developed by the REPERTORIUM project, around 4,000 pieces of Gregorian chant have been recovered, pieces that had not been transcribed, studied, catalogued, or sung for over 1,000 years. These pieces have been digitised and catalogued, making them accessible to researchers and the general public through digital libraries. The 25 January concert will be a unique opportunity to hear some of these newly recovered chants in the iconic setting of the Old Cathedral of Salamanca.
About Schola Antiqua
Schola Antiqua is a group dedicated to the performance and study of Gregorian chant and other ancient music traditions. With 40 years of history, Schola Antiqua has achieved notable prestige both nationally and internationally. The group has been invited to participate in significant festivals and events, and their work has been fundamental in the dissemination and preservation of Gregorian chant. The director of Schola Antiqua is Juan Carlos Asensio Palacios, one of Spain’s leading experts in medieval music performance.
Technology and Innovation in the Service of Music
REPERTORIUM focuses not only on the recovery of Gregorian chants but also on developing an immersive sound treatment system. This system will allow users to interact with an orchestra and play their instrument with it, providing a unique experience. This technology, based on advanced AI techniques, will be accessible to orchestras, the industry, and the general public, facilitating new opportunities in education and commercialisation, and attracting new audiences.
Impact and Future of the REPERTORIUM Project
The REPERTORIUM project will enhance accessibility, attractiveness, and knowledge of classical musical heritage among the public and academics. It will not only breathe new life into forgotten chants but also ensure that the sound experience is as real in virtual environments as in live settings. It represents an important step towards creating a musical artificial intelligence with virtual equivalents for the eyes, ears, memory, intellect, and imagination. Doing so is an essential first step in exploring the problem of aligning human values with AI, making European cultural heritage available to machine learning solutions. The project is a crucial task toward developing an AI that can authentically reflect the values of human civilisation while achieving the goals of its programmers. REPERTORIUM builds our future from our past, preparing the ground for AI to understand and align with the intentions, preferences, and objectives embodied in centuries of European civilisation’s traditions and artefacts, as well as our goals. REPERTORIUM will serve as a model for shaping our new human-centred digital world.
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