I have been extremely fortunate that Síle has a great love for choral singing and where ever we have ended up has joined the local choir.

When we first met she was a member of St. Stephen’s Singers, a terrific group of young singers which had been founded by Audrey Carr. They sang mostly madrigals and church music and we were fortunate enough to persuade them to sing at our wedding, which they did beautifully.
(We also persuaded the last-at that time- remnants of Dr. Strangely Strange to play at the afters, but that is another story.)
While we lived in England Síle sang in The Ashford Choral Society. This was conducted by one Mark Deller, who’s father Alfred was, the first English countertenor. This was a much larger choir who were able to sing the more complex oratorios.
Back in Waterford She joined The Waterford College Choir and then moved into Madrigallery when they were formed in ’91 where she has sung since.

Madrigallery I have talked about before, all the singers have become friends and are quite the hub of our social life in Waterford.
They also consented to sing at our eldest daughters wedding a few years ago.

So Síle was on the look out for a choir since we arrived over here.

Being a sensible lady she asked the piano tuner (when he was fixing up the piano at Le Presbytere) which did he think were the best choir in Beziers.
La Cantarela, was the reply.

Síle went to meet them about a month ago and has been singing along happily with them every Monday night since.
They are also a rather large choir and were polishing off Brahms Requiem so she has been singing with them but not performing as yet.
Last week they were performing the Requiem in the church of Sant Pere in Figueres and they offered Síle a seat on the bus to go and hear them.
As we not going to have any staying we decided to go together and stay over night there .

So, feeling a bit like naughty children on Saturday morning we packed our bags , hopped into the car and headed off the hour and a half journey to Figueres in sunny Spain.
This was the life we had promised ourselves when we first moved to France but the very first time we had been able to take advantage of it.
It felt terrific!

Figueres is an amazing town.
It was Dali’s home town and the place is a bit of a monument to him.
As far as I am concerned I can take or leave a melted watch and the whole town was alive with them so we had to live with that.

In the museum Emporda however we discovered who re-discovered the Catalan musician who rediscovered the Sardana.
Now I am dying to see a Saradana, the Catalan dance which is danced in a ring by huge circles of people (see above picture from 1900’s.)
Until I do manage to see one however I am happy to play the music on CD composed by this musician who was called, marvellous name, Pep Ventura.

As you can imagine anyone called Pep Ventura carries all of life in his music.
I defy anyone not to be cheered instantly by his choral and band music.
The CD I bought is called Abans del Mite and is available from the Museu Emporda in Figueres.

It was very strange to go an hour down the road and find Spain.
The Pyrenees are so massive that there has not been as much marriage of cultures as one would suppose.
We got into Figueres at about three o clock on Saturday.
At around 4 we started to stroll up the town and thought it completely dead.
Not a sinner anywhere.
Then slowly the streets started to fill.
By six the town was packed with people.
These were principally young incredibly trendy young families sporting loads, really loads, of equally fashionably dressed children. Small children are certainly the accessory of choice here.
It seems that Catalans like the Italians perform a Passagiata in the evenings and parade the streets to meet friends and display their latest style.
Possible only I suppose in a climate like theirs.

After that we went to hear La Cantarela in the church of Sant Pere.

They were most impressive.
It is an extremely difficult piece to sing, they managed with great aplomb.
Looks like Síle has a new choir (and I have a new passion; Sardana music)