BRIDGNORTH TWINNING

The 2019 Twin Towns annual Festival will be organised by Thiers and is due to take place during La Pamparina popular Music Festival. over the weekend of 5th, 6th & 7th July.

Bridgnorth & District Twinning Association

VIVALDI MUSIC WEEKEND

10th September to 15th September 2010

The Vivaldi Weekend, in Bridgnorth, was the result of a long standing arrangement with the three Twinning Partners, to perform Vivaldi’s choral works in each of the three Twin Towns. The idea was the dream of Prof. Paulette Tampere, Musical Director of the Point D’Orgue Choral, in Thiers. Last year we performed the Magnificat in Thiers and the previous year there had been a performance of the Gloria.

One of the challenges, there were many, was to find enough Singers to provide the basis of a large Choir. Fortunately, Dr. John Turnock agreed to share this challenge and choral rehearsals were arranged at St. Mary’s Church. The response was encouraging and over the twelve weeks of rehearsals, leading up to the Music Weekend, the Bridgnorth Choir grew from a core of thirty to fifty eight voices, adding to the thirty members of the Thiers Choir.

Arrangements were made for Host Families, Hotel accommodation, Coaches and, in order to reduce costs, the use of the Bridgnorth Community Bus to transport the Arsatius Consort to and from the Airport and Concert venues.

Friday 12th September was the first Concert, in St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow, coincidentally also the start of the Ludlow Food Festival, so a visit was included in the Weekend’s agenda. The Arsatius Consort played a number of Vivaldi’s compositions and the Choir performed the Vivaldi “Gloria”.

There was a Coffee Concert on Saturday morning for the Arsatius Consort at Acton Round Church and Hall by arrangement with Sue and Hew Kennedy. In spite of a lower than expected Audience, the music of five Baroque Composers was enthusiastically received, encouraging the quintet to add an encore.

The Concert at St Mary’s Church, Bridgnorth, commenced at 7pm, to a packed audience and was very well appreciated by everyone. Following the concert over 140 visitors and participants were invited to a Banquet at the Baptist Church. As the wine flowed, the evening concluded with musical entertainment from all sections of the Choir and Orchestra.

On Sunday, a section of the Bridgnorth Choir, with the Thiers Choral, sang at the morning service in St. Mary’s Church.

All the visitors expressed there thanks for a wonderful weekend, in particular to musical director John Turnock and twinning committee secretary Lindy Macdonald for the time spent in organising the event.

New friendships were made and old friendships were re-enforced by this special social occasion.