Street Gallery

of the Guided Visit at the Folies Bastringues Festival...

The artists - Dominque, Celine and Corinne were very imaginative and creative.

Resting after Entertaining

The photos were taken with my camera by an unknown person but I forgot to show her how to use  zoom.  Digital cropping reveals a flavour of the Vagabond.  It was dusk on a clear night. The first stop after the Chevalier where there was no music was at Le Lecteur.  A prostrate figurine reading a book. I must try to read like that again!  Thomas with his Stroh-violin.

 ...here they come towards me...

...where I play "Coeur Vagabond" to the Green Man.  In France called le Bon Homme...this one with his head in the clouds or wind...

The group moved to the wall of faces.. look closely for, I think, 127 in total.

At 'le facteur', a wire bicycle is mounted on a circular roofed postbox. Thomas read and posted a postcard.

 He played again at 'L'Abri' -

I'd moved on to 'Les Arches' to play "Gypsy Mood" - a concerto type piece with slow, fast, majestic and light sections.

Being in the back street with little light, surrounded by dark stones of the church wall, opposite the Tree with White Leaves Reflected in a Mirror (my title),  I wasn't happy with my rendition of "Autumn Leaves".  I was  cold and tired. Thomas was supportive, encouraging with his accompaniment, or maybe I was accompanying him.  It was strange to play with the Bass Stroh.  He is an excellent professional musician and theatrical artiste.  I am hoping he will give me another opportunity to play but in warmer conditions where I can sit down!  Earlier, I had chosen to stand where I could have sat down...I had not realised how arduous it is doing street theatre!

 Moving on... 'A la Derive'... being adrift...the scarf was nice but a nuisance!

At the last artistic creation, returning to the place where we'd started, we did an unscheduled replaying of  'La Derive'.
Normally, I do not like to publish photos of me but at the age of 66,  recognising that I have played the accordion on and off since I was aged 7, I realise that this accordion has been 56 years in my ownership and is definitely a few years older than that!
I am publishing because this is the second time this year I have been invited to perform in public. The accordion is heavy. It takes a toll on my back and since the bicycle accident and biceps tendonitis my wrists. These wrists were beginning to give out last night but I managed to pull the beast of bellows in and out, pushing buttons, fingering keys.
I am publishing because I am celebrating my talent which has given immense enjoyment to me and to others.  Poor things who do not like to hear it, including the cat who needs to escape the room!
I am grateful to my mother for sacrificing her time and earnings to give me lessons with the renowned accordionist Martin Lukins in the late 1950s / early 1960s.... that was before I stopped to learn the piano with Mary Ash, my school music teacher.
Last night, someone asked if I had french 'prix' for my playing.  No, I have no qualifications!

WITH THANKS TO THOMAS and the Folies Bastringue Festival....Many people work hard to bring artistic experiences to the villages of France.  It has been a pleasure for me!

This is one of the places...

...within Coussay les Bois on Saturday 17 October between 19h and 20h where I shall be playing my piano accordion as a Vagabond with Thomàs and his Stroh instruments.

 

On Saturday music will draw people along the route... 

pointers for people to observe 'les petit choses ephémèrales' as dusk moves to darkness.

I shall be assisting a guided tour - a Promenade to view sculptural forms created by three artists and inspired by peoples and their surroundings, history and geography, language and poetry, music and art.
On Wednesday evening I went as a guest to the first of the eight guided walks.  It helped to know the route!  Afterwards there was mulled wine and an opportunity to purchase the CATALOGUE  for 5 euros which shows wonderful photos, poems and explanations of the sculptures. Also acquire a free programme for the events in the village between 9 and 14 November 2015.
I'll show my photos of the works after I have played on Saturday but the Catalogue is excellent. WELL... here are three tasters.  One piece I shall play is called 'Gypsy Mood' and another 'Coeur Vagabond'.  With Thomas we shall play 'Autumn Leaves' and 'À La Dérive'. I hope for DRY weather and not too cold on the keys for my little fingers...but my accordion prefers warm and sunny weather! And so do I!   It will be different to NOT play Musette style music but to perform a more dramatic, theatrical style... I hope!!!!

A beautiful rose

window at Le Petit Pressigny:

Art at the heart of rural France

Le Petit Pressigny held their wonderful art event this year.  Last year, either it rained or it was cancelled!  This year artists and their works were more interesting and attainable to understand and to purchase than in 2013!  Usually, I try to see everything but this year I was more relaxed. I couldn't find any apples or walnut oil on sale.  I intended to return to buy a butternut squash or pumpkin for 2 euros but forgot as I was keen to move on and see my friend if she was at home. However, walnut bread was found, but I declined to buy apples baked in pastry. They were something we used to make in my domestic science lessons at school.  Naughty but nice, I purchased several slices of English cakes as my oven is caput and I don't wish to make cakes in a mirco-combi oven.
I wrote a postscript here.
Shortly after my arrival, unbeknown to me, I'd dropped my camera after sitting with friends.  It was at least an hour or more later when I wished to take a photo ( I am careful to not be too intrusive to the creativity of the artist  even though cameras are clicking often)  that I discovered it was not in my bag!!!!!!        "eeeekkkk" ... said "The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark" by Jill Tomlinson.
Two artists said I had not left it on their stall, so I went to the ACCEUIL to ask 'si un photo-appareil est avec les objets trouvés'  et VOILA!!!  I expressed great gratitude to the person who found it and the madame said she would pass that on!
The table for 'les aperos' after the speeches was one of the prettiest I have seen since living in France.

Empty glasses...those little home made sponge fingers -Savoiardi or Boudoir Ladyfingers -were melt-in-the-mouth.

The Autumn flower and fruit decorations were art in themselves.

This man made a captivating speech about his? study of the survival of rural villages in France.

Recycled Glass Bottles. Everyone now seems to be making flowers like my pottery teacher used to do.

I just love the colours of Cosmos.

There were amazing models... this one of the threshing machine process

Balmoral Gingerbread at the English Tea Marquee as I had had no lunch!

The sculptures were many. I hope the artists made sales! This last one, metal and glass, would be ideal in my garden. I did not look at the price tag!