Sunday, 8 July 2012

Concerts, Castles and Cathars

It is clear the the summer season has started in the Minervois. I am spoilt for choice for entertainment.
On Friday night I went to the first of les Vendredis Classiques de Caunes….classical concerts held every Friday for a few weeks.

It started with a public rehearsal by a choir and small orchestra of a Bach cantata, ending with a performance where the audience was invited to join in the Amen section . The choir was excellent, the soloists were great and the conductor, Michel Brun, was brilliant at explaining what he was trying to get out of the performers as he commentated on the rehearsal.

The main concert  ( Vivaldi and Purcell) of the evening was also excellent, but not as much fun as the Bach rehearsal, although the counter tenor’s voice was astounding.

Between the Bach and the Vivaldi I went for a meal in the local bar with Veronica, one of the altos in the choir, who contacted me ( through a blog posting) . It was good to hear about her experience of moving out to France working and living here and about singing in the choir. It was also the first time I have met someone directly through blogging. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with her. So, if you're reading this Veronica, thanks so much for a lovely evening. 

Then on Saturday I had a whole day organised, wine tasting and visiting Cathar castles….it was a perfect combination, and will certainly feature in a later blog.

Peyrepertuse, a Cathar refuge during the Albigenisian crusade.

Today, Sunday, I’ve been thinking about watching the tennis on TV this afternoon and how I can maybe fit a few lengths of the pool in between sets. Prior to this exciting afternoon I have planned, I drove into the nearby village of Rieux, to experience their medieval fete. I am so impressed at the effort people make to enable these happenings to take place and be such enjoyable occasions. So here are a few of the photos I took.

I love those 12th century sunglasses.


This little girl was fascinated by the sword




After all this activity, I may forgo the swimming, and just slump in front of the TV, with fingers crossed for Murray.

15 comments:

  1. There's a bit of everything here, Janice - you are certainly filling in your time with some wonderful experiences. What a great idea to have a public rehearsal - I love it!
    And lovely to meet a fellow blogger in the locality - I have a Spanish friend, found through blogging and it has been a very special find - hope you and Veronica go on to share much more.
    I'm wondering if I can just say how much I like your medieval photos without actually confessing to preferring the very last one...obviously not. Did you think so too?

    Axxx

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    1. It's funny you should say that.... I actually thought, Annie will like this one, I thought he looked rather wonderful too. I decided he was a Cathar, not a Catholic crusader, which of course made him even more appealing. How did I know you would appreciate his.....sensitive face ?

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  2. It ws lovely to meet you too, Janice -- hopefully we can catch up again soon, especially if you decide to venture over to the "other side" (i.e. the Corbières)! I'd love to hear more about your wine and castles tour -- it sounds wonderful. Great photos of the medieval fete too.

    I blipped the concert, here.

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    1. I spent some time in the Corbieres yesterday on my wine tasting trip. I would recommend the combination of wine tasting and castle viewing. It was excellent. Again, thanks so much for Friday evening. J.

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  3. I'm having a break from the tennis -- too much holding my breath and biting my nails! Your part of France has interested me for a very long time -- especially the history of the Cathars -- who were people way ahead of their time -- unfortunately for them in the end. It is a very tragic and mysterious story which I find totally intriguing.

    Your musical evening sounds just super -- wonderful that you could do that and meat a fellow blogger too!

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    1. It has been a lovely few days..so much going on.
      I knew very little about the Cathars before moving here. Some of the straight historical texts are hard work, some are poorly translated and my French has a long way to go before being able to cope with serious historical texts....and others are so romanticised, it all sounds very unlikely. One of the problems is that the only record of it all was kept by the "winners", the Church and the French, rather than the Cathars themselves or even the inhabitants of the Languedoc who protected the Cathars, and their territory against the French from the north. However, I have found a few things that have enabled me to learn a bit about it all, and it is completely fascinating.... tragic and mysterious as you say. I'm looking forward to visiting all of the castles and citadels where there were sieges. J.

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  4. You are having a great time, aren't you!
    I'm not sure I could have combined wine tasting and scrambling around those Cathar sites...the ones I remember were decidedly rocky!

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  5. Wonderful photos Janice. Am I right in thinking that the crusader caught napping is the same one in an earlier shot being poured a glass of ?????? it is wine isn't it - possibly one too many or a case of performance preparation?
    Celia x

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    1. yes, I think he was just getting into his role. The wine was flowing pretty freely though, so I may be wrong. Jx

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  6. Janice.....you live in an amazing place. I adore anything medieval and this event looks absolutely very interesting. Always lots to see and do. Next summer we are visiting my husband's cousin who lives in Toulouse, so I wouldn't mind visiting your area. Love the 'Crusader' napping, poor man must be tired. Thanks again for sharing your adventures.

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    1. Toulouse is only about an hour and a half's drive from here...so we must plan to meet up if at all possible next summer. The villages certainly know how to put on a show, and at the moment, I'm really spoilt for choice of things to see and do. J.

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  7. I'm slowly catching up on bogs and such, Janice, and had some time to pause and enjoy your latest adventures. I truly admire your sense of adventure and of seeking out all that there is about you. The rehearsal sounds wonderful. My first opera, Carmen, was in high school. It was a rehearsal at the Civic Opera House and I will never forget it.

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    1. Hi Penny, what a treat having Carmen as your first opera, I would have been completely smitten from that point onwards. I do think rehearsals are great, hearing a conductor's plans for his/her interpretation of a piece really adds to the enjoyment for me.
      Hope all is well with you. J.

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  8. You sound like you're having a fantastic time, Janice, and the glorious weather must help too. :-) What fun to have dinner with someone you met through blogging and the rehearsal and concert would have been right up my street, as would the medieval fete. Thanks so much for sharing it all with us rain-soaked northerners. :-)

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    1. Sorry to hear you are still suffering from the rain. I had hoped that your journey to France would have meant you leaving the wet stuff behind.
      The weekend entertainment in the village was excellent, and yes, meeting up with Veronica was great.

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