Choristers from the Cathedral in Bath’s twin city, Aix en Provence, are to perform at Bath Abbey on Saturday 7th July at 2pm.
The programme will include music by Fauré, Franck and Gounod, and the Choir will be conducted by Jean-François Sénart and accompanied by Chantal de Zeeuw on the Abbey’s Klais Organ. All are welcome, with no tickets or reservations required.
The 30 men and women who make up the Aix en Provence Cathedral Choir are visiting Bath for five days to celebrate the city’s twinning, as well as to further strengthen an existing bond between the two churches based on a shared passion for choral music.
Bath Abbey’s Girls Choir previously sang at Aix en Provence Cathedral five years ago, at a concert which attracted hundreds of people. The two churches remain in regular contact with Peter King, Bath Abbey’s Director of Music, and a renowned organist, performing at the Cathedral in Aix en Provence on a number of occasions and the Cathedral’s Director of Music, Chantal de Zeeuw, returning the favour with an organ recital at the Abbey last year.
Peter King, Director of Music at Bath Abbey, said: “We hope people in Bath will turn out for the concert and give the Aix en Provence Cathedral Choir as warm a welcome as we received when we went over there with the Abbey’s Girls Choir. If you love music and are looking for something to do on Saturday afternoon, why not come along and enjoy the atmosphere? It will be an hour well spent, whether you’re on your own or are with family and friends.”
During their time in Bath, the members of the Aix en Provence Cathedral Choir will also be doing some sightseeing and will be staying with local host families, mainly from Bath Abbey’s thriving community.
The culmination of the twinning visit will be on Sunday 8 July when the members of the Aix en Provence Cathedral Choir join forces with the Abbey’s Choir featuring 14 men and 26 girls to sing at the 11am Sung Eucharist service at Bath Abbey.
Aix en Provence and Bath have been twinned since 1977 and resemble one another in many respects. Both are university towns. Aix, meaning “watering place”, is widely regarded as the cultural and artistic capital of the Provençal region hosting many festivals of music and art each year.
