Easter Concert at St Sauveur Cathedral,Aix-en -Provence.

(photo from the Festival site on Facebook)

It was worth  queuing for some time, then get a decent seat at this special concert offered to the population of  Aix and surrounding villages which are part of the 'Communauté des Communes du Pays d'aix'.  ( we all pay taxes together for our commun well being!)

This free event was sponsored by Aix Festival de Pâques and the CIC bank.
Today being Easter Sunday at the Cathedral, I thought to myself this event must have required a lot of preparation and arrangements .
We were welcomed by the Priest in charge who expressed how honoured they were to host such an event and thanked the organisers.
Then the organiser of Festival de Pâques, Dominique Bluzet dedicated this event to the women attending this concert:  especially the prominent ones like the new Minister of Culture ( he mentionned it was her first outing) and the Environment Minister. He also mentionned Aix Landlady and her daughter, very young Senator ( I am not quite sure of her name as I am not that keen on these matters).  That is fairly easy to check tomorrow in the local press!

The huge nave was full.  J.S Bach resounded beautifully, enhanced

by Renaud Capuçon' s violin and David Fray at the piano.
The Mahler Chamber Orchestra dialogued with the piano, and in each time during Concerto 1 and Concerto 4, I had more emotion following Adagio and Larguetto. The concert opened with the Sonata 5 for Violin and piano. It was again more catching in the adagio. When the chamber Orchestra was in full power with the piano it was an amazing feeling in the Cathedral, with  natural sound amplification and resonance. 

Again, after these days turmoil, it was the place to be, this
afternoon.
I do not know what David Fray chose to give us as an encore ( a delicate Bach piece, very soothing, almost like a whisper). It  was like a treasure to go away with, a token to cherish when walking under the rain to the bus, then,  back home.
I hope it will be possible to listen to this event on Radio Classique  here:
http://www.radioclassique.fr/radio/les-emissions/emission/les-concerts-en-direct.html
(Some photos are taken from the programme).
This Pâques musical event is now four years old...and I must say it is most enjoyable because I can attend some free master classes, conferences, and also evening concerts starting at 6pm at the nicest little theater I have ever known, Theâtre du Jeu de Paume...( Will I manage to write about what I have already attended so far, for this 4th edition ?I am not an expert on JS Bach 's music but I am a constant listener of his. This afternoon I loved the pianist, tremendously).