{"id":27275,"date":"2019-11-04T07:06:49","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T07:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.camac-harps.com\/blog\/?p=27275"},"modified":"2019-11-07T20:49:36","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T20:49:36","slug":"camac-festival-toulouse-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.camac-harps.com\/blog\/en\/news\/camac-festival-toulouse-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Camac Festival: Toulouse 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Festival<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Veronika<\/a>

Veronika Lemishenko, Jakez Fran\u00e7ois<\/p><\/div>\n

When we go on tour, one question we\u2019re often asked is whether we come to that city every year. Well, that\u2019s not yet always possible, because the world is a big place and we have to cover a lot of it\u2026but the Camac Festival <\/span>has<\/span><\/i> now <\/span>returned<\/span><\/i> to Toulouse! We had a very successful visit in 2008, and this year we also enjoyed packed halls and warm, enthusiastic audiences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Veronika Lemishenko<\/a> got Toulouse 2019 off to a magnificent start, with a virtuoso classical recital of music by Auguste Durand, Paul Patterson, the Ukrainian composer Vasyl Barvinsky, Bernard Andr\u00e8s, and F\u00e9lix Godefroid. One member of the public commented that they hadn\u2019t known such virtuosity was possible on the harp, and Veronika could certainly have performed many an encore had time permitted!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Duo<\/a>

A taste of Brittany in Toulouse, with Duo Arzel-Bl\u00e9jean!<\/p><\/div>\n

After an hour, we had to let Veronika go, because it was time to change the set for our second concert of the evening. Breton harpist Nolwenn Arzel<\/a>, accompanied by Lo\u00efc Bl\u00e9jean<\/a> on low whistle and Uilleann pipes, brought the music of the Celtic lands to the South of France.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nolwenn\u2019s own compositions and arrangements made up their programme, and inspired a rush on the CDs and scores laid out for sale after the concert! If you missed them, worry not: the\u00a0<\/span>Camac e-store<\/span><\/a> sells the entire collection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Undeterred by the late nights, our friendly audience was back in force for Nolwenn\u2019s lever harp workshop the following morning. By the end of two hours, everybody was playing a highly convincing An Dro, and getting to grips with traditional improvisation! The afternoon\u2019s workshop, with Jessica Browning of Duo Blew Harp<\/a>, was equally packed, with a queue of avid listeners snaking out of the door. Jessica introduced both her impressive array of electric harps, amplification and effects – and also her creative philosophy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jessica\u2019s path is interesting and unusual: first studies in psychology, followed by six months of silence in a Buddhist monastery. After this, she knew she wanted to be a harpist. She has performed in India, Iceland, New Zealand and Australia\u2026and her music is brightly-coloured by her travels. Freely combining rock, folk and other groove elements, she is now getting ready for her next big adventure – a voyage around the world with her husband and her harps!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t