Delle Donne Consort and Paradise Repaired are delighted to announce their first joint CD recording: O dolce nocte. This program brings to life the emotionally rich repertoire of 16th- and 17th-century Italian madrigals, with a special focus on composers from the Venetian school who had deep Flemish roots.

O dolce nocte was developed during an artistic residency at Museum Vleeshuis in Antwerp – a location that resonates deeply with the historical character of the music. The program premiered there in autumn 2022, in two sold-out performances. In January 2024, it was selected for Bozar Next Generation, a prestigious platform for emerging classical music talent, where it was again performed to a full house in the Rotonde at Bozar in Brussels.

The program’s impact continues to grow. In September 2025, Museum Vleeshuis has invited Delle Donne Consort and Paradise Repaired to perform O dolce nocte once more, as part of the museum’s festive closing weekend before long-term renovations begin.

With this recording, both ensembles aim to capture the essence of O dolce nocte in a high-quality studio production that will make the repertoire accessible to a broader audience.

The recording will be released on the Evil Penguin Classic label. The label offers deep expertise in tailoring recordings for optimal performance across all digital platforms. Evil Penguin Classic will also handle worldwide distribution, actively promoting the recording of these young Flemish early music ensembles on both national and international stages.

At the heart of O dolce nocte lies the madrigal – a genre that emerged in 16th-century Italy, known for its expressive intensity and poetic beauty. These love songs, filled with passion, sorrow, and ecstasy, became a dominant musical form and deeply influenced the course of Western music. Flemish composers such as Adriaan Willaert (Rumbeke), Giaches de Wert (Bornem), and Cypriaan de Rore (Ronse) were instrumental in shaping this tradition, laying the groundwork for later masters like Claudio Monteverdi.

Together, Delle Donne Consort and Paradise Repaired bring this expressive yet underappreciated repertoire back to the spotlight, starting with the love madrigals of the Venetian school – music that speaks to the heart, across centuries.

With the support of the Flemish government