Britten and Schubert in Picardy
- A new festival in rural Picardy.
- Ian Bostridge, Mark Padmore, Imogen Cooper, Julius Drake, Paul Lewis, Cedric Tiberghien, Christian Poltéra and the Belcea Quartet are among the artists.
- Schubert and Britten are the principal composers.
Is there room for another summer chamber music festival, another that springs from nothing in a seemingly unpromising fold in the hills in nowhere in particular? Yes, if it combines artistic integrity with a clear idea of its intended audience, if it constantly demonstrates the highest standards of performance and if it is well managed in terms both of vision and detail. The Festival de Valloires fulfills these conditions. The brainchild of BBC Radio 3 editor Adam Gatehouse, it got under way in 2006, and after only two seasons has gained a high reputation and achieved excellent ticket sales.
The setting is superb. L’Abbaye de Valloires, the grand eighteenth-century buildings exemplifying the eternal verities of the Ancien Régime, is tucked into the pretty valley of the little River Authie. The magnificent arcaded court provides the foyer, concerts take place in the great domed church and the former refectory is now a restaurant.
This part of Picardy consists of open rolling plains, intensively farmed, punctuated by quietly prosperous villages, historic market towns and clumps of woodland. Many visitors, in the habit of pushing on further south, might be surprised to find how attractive the region is.
But what differentiates this music festival from many another across the face of Europe in August? For so small a festival (the church seats only 350), the calibre of the artists is outstanding. For a first year, big names can be begged, pleaded with, persuaded to do their bit to help, but those tactics are difficult to pull off twice, let alone three times. The reason the artists come back is because they enjoy it. Several major artists have signed up for two seasons, and Mark Padmore and Imogen Cooper will have attended all three. Among the others this year are Ian Bostridge, Cedric Tiberghien, Julius Drake, Paul Lewis, Christian Poltéra and the Belcea Quartet.
The music itself is another source of appeal. Some might cavil at its solidly mainstream content; rather more would welcome that. The theme this year is Schubert and Britten; Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Mahler, Bartók and Ligeti are the other composers.
Then there is the audience. International in make-up – only half are French, a third are British – the atmosphere is strikingly convivial. Dinner is available at the abbey after every evening concert and participants mix freely.
As is the norm with our music tours, there are daily talks about the music and excursions to places of interest or beauty on most mornings.