In the medieval cloister at Sylvanès
In the medieval cloister at Sylvanès
This past August, eight
Boston Camerata musicians ventured to the southwest of France to perform
an all-American program. As we began to arrive in the bucolic town of Sylvanès,
it was apparent to all that this festival appearance was going to be exceptional
in every way!
From the warm welcome of the Festival staff members to the hospitality of the townspeople and beautiful countryside, Sylvanès provided the perfect setting for this unique summer music festival, which showcases sacred music from around the world. The Camerata was to present “The American Vocalist” program, which explores the roots of American music in European chant and folksong. We began rehearsals in the record-breaking heat, thanking our lucky stars that the 13th century abbey where we rehearsed and performed, offered a comparatively cool stone interior. Because of this natural air conditioning, and (one would like to think) our tuneful rehearsing, we enjoyed frequent impromptu audiences during the week leading up to our performance.
The Festival staff had arranged for wonderful meals in the Abbey refectory, featuring regional cuisine. To add to this celebratory feeling, the countryside of Sylvanès offered plenty of opportunity for walks, hikes and excursions (we even discovered a small medieval travelers’ chapel in the middle of a farmer’s hilltop field). So, by performance time the cast was rested, well fed and eager to share some incredible music with our (primarily) French audience.
As we began the concert with the memorable canon, “Welcome, welcome ev’ry guest,” we could feel the audience’s enthusiasm. Joel Cohen’s informative, dynamic commentary en français heightened everyone’s appreciation. By the time we reached the first sing along (Old Hundred-Psalm 100), the audience was singing heartily in French, English, German or simply la-la-ing along. And so it went, until, after the many wonderful musical moments of the concert, we gathered for a dinner reception to celebrate.
From a musician’s perspective, this concert was more than a musical success; it was a small triumph of international cultural exchange. Through the carefully crafted program and engaging commentary, audience member and performer alike came to understand firsthand the closeness of the relationship between European and American music. It was a powerful reminder of how the arts can serve as a medium for cultural understanding. (A glowing review in the Midi Libre newspaper confirmed this assessment.) One can only hope that events such as this can continue to build bridges between our diverse nations, cultures and communities.
-Deborah Rentz-Moore
mezzo-soprano, Boston Camerata