Did a gig last night in Chinon. Three of us - Mike and I and a French friend, Patrick. A hour long programme. The programme was and a mixture of French and English songs. Seemed to go down really well with the audience and the three of us really enjoyed doing it. We got together back in October to sort out the music. Then had a session trying things out about three weeks ago. And that was it until Tuesday morning, when we got together for a run through in the space. Surprised ourselves with such little rehearsal that we left feeling fine with what we were doing, and in the evening it all fell into place. Apéros had been laid on before, at the interval and then afterwards. Lovely evening.
Last Saturday was a treat music-wise. We were over at Fontevraud for an early evening Jazz concert. Don't know how they managed to get him in his very busy touring schedule, but anyway, Jacky Terrasson was playing - solo. Just amazing musically and technically. We've a CD with him and Cassandra Wilson, but that's about it. But his reputation is top flight. When we saw him on the schedule had to get tickets as the concert was bound to be sold out, so we bought them back in April this year. Prior to Fontevraud he'd had a 4-night slot in N.Y. with his trio. Been to Germany and other parts of France. The day before he was in London for the London Jazz Festival and then to Fontevraud. The day after he was in Amsterdam, then back to France for a big regional tour. He's a fluent French speaker - his father was/is French and his mother American. He works a lot with classic pieces, but deconstructs him and takes you for an incredible musical journey, weaving in the original tune along the way. Glorious.
In between time we've seen various friends for lunch and other friends and neighbours for apéros. Been to a great annual event called Voyages en Textiles which is co-ordinated by a friend of ours (with others), in Chinon. There are three venues for it. Our Anglo/French group L'Ecrin provides an exhibition area. Annie and I are on the committee for L'Ecrin and the association's central idea is cultural exchange. Voyages en Textiles through Annie and her husband Mark has very close ties with a village in Nepal. The exhibition was in part photographic of village life, with a display of clothes and practical items, and one of their friends who lives there, was dressed traditionally and demonstrating weaving and sewing. In the centre of Chinon is a municipal space - Maisons des Associations, which is used by local groups. Voyages en Textiles takes over the whole building, which is on two floors, with lots of rooms off. Here a bookshop is set up with a wonderful range of books all round the subject of textiles and crafts. On the top floor is a practical demonstration area with looms of all sizes, shapes and styles and where you can buy hand made cloth by the metre. The remaining rooms in this building are dedicated to knitted items and the raw materials. It's wonderful to look at and the designs as well as the finished items are really something. The third building is in a deconsecrated chapel, which in itself is fascinating, but here the display is of finished had woven and sewn items. The range and skill was just stunning. You could spend a fortune. Huge success, with a percentage from all sales going to the village in Nepal to help support the educational programme. This event is one that we support every year. Huge amount of work getting it together. It runs for two whole days and is now a major feature on the Chinon calendar. Extremely well done.
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