ENSEMBLE WITIZA AT CHAPELLE SAINT-GERMAIN

ENSEMBLE WITIZA AT CHAPELLE SAINT-GERMAIN - CONCERT REVIEW

Same Players/Different Venue

We first learned of the concert series at the Chapelle Saint-Germain last summer. But try as we might, we failed to manage to attend even one. The single occasion that we found the time to take the trip up to our north and west, we got hopelessly lost. By the time that we found the little 11th Century chapel tucked among the vines a couple of miles off the main road between Cesseras and Siran, the doors had closed. Again this year, none of the first four dates seemed to work - a wedding in England, friends arriving from Scotland, always an excuse. Until this fifth and last concert of the season.

We should have made the time much sooner.

As stated, the small, old chapel is way back among the vines with parking in a beaten-down glade across the barely-paved track. There's not much to the chapel - a dirt floor, an altar area at one end raised barely an inch or two above the dirt, a few slit windows without glass. Perhaps 100 temporary seats. Not much at all. But like so many of these old spaces, the chapel seemed designed for music. And Ensemble Witiza delivered. Renaissance music, sacred and secular, by DuFay, Machaut and others. Mostly a cappella. Occasionally an oud or a rebec or a recorder were employed. But three strong voices were all that was required for a fine listening experience - tenor Leo Richomme, baritone Cedric Crespin, and contralto Beatrice Pary, assured and well matched.

Price of admission: 12 euros. We didn't stay for the complementary wine tasting.

Just wonderful.

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