You'd never know we'd 'ad a do

Last day of En Blanc et Noir - rehearsal

The Halle this morning was its usual Saturday self, with a lively market, the only clue to the preceding revelry being the stack of chairs in the side alley off the Place.  I went to every single concert in the festival, and enjoyed them all.  The apotheosis was a four-hands piano recital by the incredibly talented James Kreiling and Janneke Brits (Mrs Kreiling), which ended with a blazing rendering of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps.  

Earlier in the day we had a recital from Saran Suebsantiwongse (baritone) accompanied by Yshani Perinpanayagam at the piano.  More striking talent, and certainly names to watch.  (Start learning them now...)

The early evening concert was a violin and piano recital by Lev Atlas and Stephen Adams, including some nice lollipops like the Saint-Saëns Introduction & Rondo

Lev Atlas and Stephen Adams

Capriccioso as well as solid stuff from Brahms and Schubert, and an arrangement of the Rachmaninov Conc 2.  And they  had the time and energy for lots of folk and pop pieces as well. 

The whole festival has been a real treat, and we hope it will establish Lagrasse firmly on the classical music calendar.  We hope too that the young musicians we heard performing will put it on their cvs with pride.  They certainly deserve to.  Except for the lightning flashes and thunder that added drama to Charles Owen's recital on Thursday, the threatened storms held off.  Charles, incidentally, taught a number of the young musicians we heard, and sets them a damn' good example.  The piano did not, however: it needed re-tuning at least once a day, as I mentioned the other day.  Martyn suggests I buy a Steinway concert grand and lend it to the festival each year.  I think not...

There were a couple of complaints from traders on the square about the piano music during rehearsals.  Well, if I'd had to be there during the preceding event's rehearsals, I'd have been grizzling too.  Unlike earlier this week after the Abracadaconneries, there was no need to hose the village down after the festival, despite very respectable takings at the buvette...