Whispers of the past at Notre-Dame

Largely unknown, or even unknown to non-specialists, the sound and musical history of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is now the subject of a project of valorization, federating the research coordinated by Sorbonne University and carried out within the framework of the ANR PHEND project “The Past Has Ears at Notre-Dame” with the support of the Technical Acoustic Group of the Notre-Dame Scientific Workshop.

This rich intangible heritage will be presented to the general public via a geolocalized application offering an audio-immersive journey around the cathedral. Equipped with a smartphone and headphones, visitors will dive into the sound memory of Notre-Dame, guided directly by a character-narrator. The history of the cathedral will be told to them and will allow them to grasp the strong links that exist between the different historical acoustics of the place, its multiple architectural or furnishing modifications, the richness of its musical production and the diversity of its liturgical practices.

Thus, the public will be invited to a real journey in time and space: they will be able to wander around the building to listen to the soundscapes of the construction site in medieval times or to be immersed in the contemporary restoration site and understand how the experts study and rebuild the damaged building. Likewise, he can be transported to the medieval choir of Notre-Dame to witness the first polyphonic chants, or learn more about its different organs. Finally, he will be able to experience the liturgical life of the cathedral through the centuries, or enjoy a secular concert of the modern era from different listening points. It will then be understood that Notre-Dame de Paris has its own unique sound identity, the result of its history and acoustics, and that it has contributed to the construction of remarkable musical knowledge.

• The Past Has Ears at Notre-Dame PHEND ANR-20-CE38-0014
• The Acoustics working group of the "Chantier scientifique CNRS/Ministère de la Culture/Notre-Dame"
• The group Lutheries - Acoustique - Musique and the Institut Jean le Rond d'Alembert, Sorbonne University
• DIM PAMIR : WhispersND
• Collegium Musicae, Sorbonne University : Murmures du passé à Notre-Dame
• Observatoire des Patrimoines, Sorbonne University (OPUS)
• Mission pour les Initiatives Transverses et Interdisciplinaires (MITI-CNRS)