Throughout the 17th century, Paris saw a proliferation of convents for nuns, in line with the revival of piety and the Counter-Reformation. By the end of the century, there were almost 600 within the city walls! They were places of prayer, sometimes hospitals, hospices, places of charity, retreats for women (especially those who had left their husbands) and places of education for young girls: colleges were reserved exclusively for boys.

Each convent depended on a congregation or order that imposed a rule. These rules govern the time and space in the daily lives of the nuns and all those who live or work within the walls of the convent. Among other things, the rule defines the place that music must occupy within the convent: it therefore differs from one place to another. Two other factors could change the place of music in a religious house: the resources available (music was already expensive in those days!) and the taste of the mother superior. Several examples show that the mother abbess gave her own interpretation of the rule to make room for the music she loved...

In the majority of these 600 Parisian convents, the music resonates: first and foremost (and often exclusively) with the plainchant, which is the root of sacred chant in Christianity. The repertoire does not always go back to the dawn of time, as one might think: it is sometimes composed or arranged specifically for a place, becoming one of the signatures of its specific ceremonial. As at the court of Louis XIV, but in a completely different way, music was a mark of power and independence.

Some of the rarer convents, though still wealthy, offered a special place to music. Here, nuns and young ladies practised figurative singing (motets, not just plain chant) and played instruments. This was the case, for example, at the Royal Abbey of Montmartre in the mid-seventeenth century, where it is reported that the nuns sang and played instruments (organ, viol, lute) to accompany themselves. Antoine Boësset was the organist and music master (adored by the nuns, it is said). This major composer of the time of Louis XIII, known for his court airs and ballets, whose timbres were heard everywhere from the salons to the streets, composed a totally original repertoire for the ladies of Montmartre, in polyphony for equal voices. This repertoire also reveals Boësset's mastery of counterpoint and harmonies, producing sublime music far removed from his famous arias.

Later in the century, Madame de Maintenon, the (morganatic) second wife of Louis XIV, founded a religious institution for poor young noblewomen. Music played an almost central role, and some of the greatest sacred music composers of the day were involved, including Gabriel Nivers and Nicolas Clérambault. They composed music of immense depth for the convent, but sometimes sought out the individuality of the singers beyond the natural reserve expected by the convent's protector. In the face of so much sensual overflow, the music simply disappeared: it was considered too subversive!

Even today, these female voices remain shrouded in mystery and legend. Women's convents, as described by the privileged few who were able to leave an ear there, combined excellence with rarity: access to the choir was strictly forbidden, and the impossibility of seeing who was producing these sounds often gave the rare visitors the impression of being in heaven, surrounded by angel musicians. Even in those days, the singing of these women uplifted the senses of those who heard them, to the point of ravishing their souls...

Composers: Antoine Boesset, Gabriel Nivers, Nicolas Clérambault.