April 2013 – Coutances Music Service Residency

 

Coutances Music Service Residency

25th-27th April 2013

Thanks to a contact initiated by the St Ouen’s Twinning Association, the academy ran a project with a group of young wind players from the Ecole de Musique de Coutances, the region’s music service, led by their Director Philip Arnaud.

During their stay the trio firstly performed at Georgetown Methodist Church to celebrate the church’s 150th concert.  Playing alongside Jersey soprano Gabriella Cassidy, the audience enjoyed a wonderful varied evening of music.

The following morning the trio performed a schools concert at Les Landes Primary School, taking it in turns to demonstrate their instruments, leading towards a trio performance of a set of variations by Beethoven on ‘La Ci Darem La Mano’.

During their visit, the students also joined forces with local young musicians to create a large ensemble to rehearse a traditional Klezmer song entitled ‘Bulgar from Odessa’.  All the students then performed at St. George’s Church on Friday 26th April to bring the tour to a close, and in this concert a variety of flute ensemble works led by Claire Boleat complemented a variety of cello ensemble works led by Emmanuelle Dumas, and various performances from the visiting students.  The concert was enjoyed by a packed church and culminated in the combined groups performing the Klezmer finale together.

Our thanks go to the St Ouen’s Twinning Association for enabling this link to be established, and the Jersey Arts Trust for their support.  Dates are already in the diary for the return leg of the exchange to take place in 2014, in which a group of young Jersey musicians will travel to Coutances to perform and work with their young musicians.

Article in Quest France newspaper, 2nd May 2013: