2023.8.15-20 Festival Hirondelle
From 15 to 20 August, I performed at the Festival Hirondelle in Auvergne, France. A viola player, Yuko Hara, who I performed with at Kioi Hall in Tokyo last year, has been the musical director of the festival since 2018 and asked me to take part this time. This year’s theme is ‘birds’, and I perform in three concerts, mainly in works associated with ‘birds’.
After a long flight, I finally arrived in Paris. The next day, I took the 9am train from Paris, connecting three trains, and spent seven hours on the way to Auvergne, the venue of the music festival.
The final destination is the Château de Lescure, an ancient medieval castle! It is so historic that Voltaire wrote about the Château de Lescure when describing the marriage of the daughter of the Lord of Brezons who owned the château, to the Prince of Harcourt in Lorraine. It is now an accommodation. Beautiful landscape! 
The square tower is one of the oldest here in the Cantal region and was built around 1000. Built with 2 m thick walls and a narrow spiral staircase, it is surprising that the tower is still habitable, despite many battles over the centuries.
During the Festival Hirondelle, we stay and rehearse in this paradise on earth.
My room was very pretty and had a great view.
On 16 August I gave my mini-recital. 15 minutes drive from the Château de Lescure where I stay. The concert venue, Site de Turlande, was amazing! A Romanesque chapel and a rocky hill with a cross.
This rocky hill was the fortress of the Lords of Turlande around the year 1000 and is also the birthplace of a saint, and the cross dates from the early 16th century.
Climbing up the rocky hill offers spectacular views! 
Before the concert, we enjoyed a picnic with the audience and then I gave my mini-recital.
The Romanesque chapel was built before 1275, damaged during the Hundred Years War in the late 14th century and rebuilt in 1425.
The Baroque altarpiece inside the chapel, dating from the 17th century, is excellent. The statues are from the 13th century.
16 August 19:30-
Concert OFF / Carte blanche à Ryoko Aoki (chanteuse de théâtre japonais nô) dans la Chapelle de Turlande
Ryoko Aoki, Noh singer
Yuko Hara, Viola
Damien Ventula, Violoncello
The concert on 17 August was held at the Église Saint-Thomas-de-Cantorbéry in Mur-de-Barrez. Mur-de-Barrez is a 40-minute drive from Château de Lescure, where we are staying, and has had a castle and fortress since the 11th century, and the village became a stronghold of Grimaldi, ruler of Monaco, in the mid-17th century under the Treaty of Peronne by Louis XIII. The old gate to the south of the village is a remnant of this. 
Climbing up the hill, there was a garden with a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.
The concert venue, the Église Saint-Thomas-de-Cantorbéry was built in the Romanesque style in the 12th-13th century, but was almost completely destroyed by the Calvinists at the end of the 16th century and rebuilt in the 17th century.
In the concert entitled ‘The Story of the Birds’, I performed Mikel Urquiza’s ‘Chiisana Tsubame (The Little Swallow)’, based on Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Happy Prince’. It was an interesting programme, which was preceded by the story of The Happy Prince told by an old local storyteller and played by a string quartet. Festival Hirondelle means Swallow Festival, so this piece seemed to be a perfect fit for the festival.
17 August 18:00-
Concert « Contes d’oiseaux »
A. Nishimura : Fantasia sur le chant des oiseaux pour alto seul
El cant dels ocells (le chant des oiseaux) pour violoncelle
J. Haydn : Quatuor en do majeur, Op. 33-3 « L’oiseau » finale
H. Winkelman : Extraits du quatuor à cordes « Papa Haydn’s Parrot »
CONTE : Oscar Wilde (1854-1990) : « Le prince heureux »
accompagné par les extraits de Haydn op. 33
M. Urquiza : « Chiisana tsubame » (petite hirondelle)
L. Boccherini : Quintette à cordes G. 276 « L’uccelliera » (une volière)
Mi-Sa Yang et Helena Winkelman (violons)
Yuko Hara (alto)
Joëlle Martinez et Damien Ventula (violoncelles)
Ryoko Aoki (chant nô)
Luis Phinila-Lopez (conteur)
After the concert, we dined outside the church with the audience. 
On this occasion we had a delicious steak and cheesecake, which was served on a business trip from a local restaurant. 
It was great to hear feedback directly from the audience.
20 August was the final concert of the festival. It took place at the church L’église de Notre-Dame de l’Assomption de Taussac in Taussac, a 40-minute drive from where we were staying. 
The church, a 15th century building dedicated to the legendary Apostle Saint Martial, was lovely, with statues of angels, playing musical instruments and drinking.
The concert was entitled ‘Envolée Flight’ and I played “L’oiseau à deux têtes” by Noriko Baba.
20 August 18:00-
Concert « Envolée »
L. v. Beethoven : Marcia
N. Baba : « L’oiseau à deux têtes » pour chant de nô et deux musiciens
J.S. Bach : Sonate en ré majeur pour clavecin BWV963
L. v. Beethoven : Trio à cordes en ré majeur Op.8 « Sérénade »
Choral
El cant dels ocells (le chant des oiseaux)
Kazuya Gunji (clavecin)
Helena Winkelman (violon)
Yuko Hara (alto, alto baroque)
Joëlle Martinez (violoncelle)
Ryoko Aoki (chant nô)
Afterwards, I ate aligot again from a local restaurant! Aligot is a local dish from the Aubrac region in south-central France. It is a dish of mashed potatoes with cheese and garlic. Another meal today with our guests. It was great to hear their direct feedback.
With Yuko Hara, the musical director of the Festival Hirondelle. 
After all the concerts, a photo was taken with everyone. The event was made possible by the work of many volunteers as well as musicians.
Meals at Château de Lescure, the ancient medieval castle where we stayed were prepared daily by five volunteers. The French home-cooked meals were very good, using local ingredients. 
It was great to spend time together around the table with a wonderful view.
The Festival Hirondelle in Auvergne, life in the Château de Lescure, was an unforgettable experience.
Concert photos ©Ronja Seytter