Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore have teamed up on a first-time collaborative track, ‘Perpetual Adoration’.
Offering the first glimpse of a full-length record from the pair, which will be announced at a later date, the new song was made within the walls of Philharmonie de Paris, after the two artists were given access to the historic instrument collection of the Musée de la Musique.
Lattimore selected an Érard double movement harp (France, 1873) and Barwick played a Sequential Circuits PROPHET-5 analog synthesiser (USA, circa 1975) on the track., and both took inspiration from a visit to Basilica of Sacré Cœur de Montmartre.
In a joint statement, Barwick and Lattimore said: “Our very first evening in Paris involved a trip to see the Sacré Cœur. It was a Sunday evening and there was a mass taking place. As we neared the exit a beautiful surge of organ-playing cascaded through the breathtaking building and a nun began singing a luminous hymn from the pulpit. We were all moved by the gorgeous music that we felt physically in this historic space.
“The next day was our first day in the museum and as we were setting up our instruments we began to play a little, and what began as a jam inspired by what we had already seen and heard became something we decided was worth recording and fleshing out. What was born was the hymn-like ‘Perpetual Adoration’, very much influenced by the tones from our evening at Sacré Cœur.
“Outside there was a placard that described daytime masses as ‘perpetual adoration’ and we loved the phrase and the connection to the city. ‘Perpetual Adoration’ is the first piece of music we made at the museum with those precious instruments.”
The two artists have so far lined up a trio of joint live shows, at Utrecht’s Le Guess Who? on November 7, Knoxville’s Big Ears Festival in March, and Paris’ Philharmonie de Paris on April 10.
Listen to ‘Perpetual Adoration’ below.
‘Perpetual Adoration’ is out now on InFiné.
