Monaco’s Department of Cultural Affairs will host two evenings of sacred baroque music in early December, featuring renowned ensembles Les Passions, Dulci Jubilo, and Concerto Soave in two historic churches.

Monaco’s cultural calendar will close the year on a harmonious note with a pair of Baroque music concerts presented by the Direction des Affaires Culturelles. The first will take place on 2nd December at 8:30pm at the Église du Sacré-Cœur in the Moneghetti district, where the Ensemble Les Passions will perform a programme entitled 1643, l’héritage italien.

This intimate ensemble of four musicians — including two violins, a viola da gamba and an organ — will be joined by the chamber choir Dulci Jubilo for a moving exploration of early Baroque music. The concert will trace the lineage from the Venetian master Claudio Monteverdi through Giacomo Carissimi to Marc-Antoine Charpentier, featuring Carissimi’s dramatic oratorio Jephte, composed in 1648 and considered a landmark of Italian sacred music.

A luminous finale at Saint-Charles

On 4th December at 8:30pm, the Église Saint-Charles in Monte-Carlo will host the second concert, Des Ténèbres à la Lumière, performed by the acclaimed Ensemble Concerto Soave. Led by Jean-Marc Aymes, the group was founded following his collaboration with Argentine soprano María Cristina Kiehr and is celebrated for its refined interpretations of 17th-century music.

This performance will take audiences on a contemplative journey from darkness to light, culminating in the jubilant promise of Christmas. The ensemble will perform cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach, whose sacred compositions remain central to the Western canon. A distinguished vocal quartet will accompany the instrumentalists, delivering both spiritual depth and exquisite musicality.

Free entry and pre-concert gatherings

Both evenings will be preceded by a convivial welcome at 8pm. Entry to the concerts is free, subject to availability. Full programme details are available via the Department of Cultural Affairs at culture.mc.

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Photo credit: Larisa Birta Slbocnlwnha, Unsplash