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| Evgeny Sviridov |
It is a curious thing that the MA Festival, currently in progress and
accounting for this late entry, was perfect when I came as a tourist
and listener; but now that I am a resident and a little older, it has
become much more of an effort to attend. It has always been a high
spot of the year since I started to come with Eric in 1989. The
overall experience of being in Brugge for a week or
so attending
concerts, often two a day, was perfection. But last year, and more so
this year, it is often a huge effort although when I sit and listen,
entranced, in the Concertgebouw or, as this morning, in Onze Lieve
Vrouw op ter Potterie, the same delight is experienced. Partly it is
because I have another life in
Bruges now; partly it is the
age-related slowing down and partly, this year, the intense and
prolonged sunshine saps the energy and makes the body heavy. I have, at the moment, two lovely guests, one for the whole of the festival, and I do enjoy
that but I have recently caught myself with the guilty longing
occasionally to be alone!!
The pleasures of being alone are, though normal, nonetheless
consciously appreciated by me, though I am sometimes asked if I am
lonely. I am not. I keep in touch with my lovely family by email,
What’s App, Face-time, even land-line and love the various
activities I do. BUT in addition, I need time alone to re-charge my
batteries; to follow my own little passions like Mah Jong and
enjoying friendship; to think and to read; to potter on the terrace;
to take a break from pleasing others or at least, from having to
consider others, though I notice I both give, and receive,
spontaneous little, “random acts of kindness”. It is all
blissfully self-indulgent and easy as befits an octogenarian!! And it
incidentally and effortlessly contributes to good mental and physical
health. As the title above suggests, there is a song in everything.
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| Catalina Vicens |
But to the point. Several stand-out concerts at the MA Festival this
year; the most astonishingly gifted violinist, Evgeny Sviridov,
laureate from last year’s festival, playing with the splendid
Stanislav Gres on the clavichord, various violin sonatas from Tartini
to Mozart, was the most memorable.
Hail, Bright Cecilia by the
Ensemble Correspondances on the last evening was superb but perhaps
the most intriguing and impressive for me was Catalina Vicens playing
various clavichords. She explored the age-old association between
femininity and musicality in early works for harpsichord and
virginals. The audience was hugely intrigued by a museum-piece, a
Mother and Child virginal, beautiful to behold, wondrous to hear and
ingenious to witness played!
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Mother and Child Virginal.
Left-hand 'child' can be pulled out like a drawer,
placed on top and played in concert with
the main keyboard.
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| Warre Dendievel |
In the meantime, Brugge pulsed to lots of more popular music under
the title,
Moods, played on temporary stages, at various corners and squares in the centre, to
the delight of the visiting crowds. And on Saturday August 11
th,
this year’s
Benenwerk: Ballroom Brugeoise again at various sites.
This annual event features different types of dancing, under some professional
instruction, to loud and catchy music. The atmosphere of the whole
town is one of a loud and happy fairground helped along by numerous
beer stands and counters. I walked home from
Hail Bright Cecilia at the
Concertgebouw, marvelling at the lights and exuberance on display throughout the Egg. Infectious!
As if I had insufficient concerts this week, on Friday 10th August came the London Welsh Male Voice Choir fresh from a major performance in Ypres in the British Legion celebrations to mark the ending of WW1. Held in Sint Annakerk, the evening proved to be a huge success; plaintive,
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| Balder Dendievel |
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| Jappe Dendievel |
victorious, wistful, celebratory, sad and
joyful. The programme featured Welsh folk songs, well-known tunes
from musicals, a mass for peace, prayers set to music, a 19th century trio of American traditional songs plus two very special spots provided by three young Flemish brothers on oboe, bassoon, trumpet and trombone. At 10, 14 and 16, the prize-winning Dendievel boys, Jappe, Warre and Balder demonstrated great talent and maturity and rather brought the house down, as they say!
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The London Welsh Male Voice Choir
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