It was in Villefranche that the Department of Aveyron created the first branch of the predominantly Occitan instrumental vocal departmental ensemble. With the aim of promoting amateur artistic practice. The professional artist Sergio Piterbarg, musician, conductor, directed this ensemble and allows amateur participants to access the knowledge of adapted repertoires through training (tutti choir, women’s, men’s, etc.) and through broadcasting vocal and instrumental music for all audiences.
“This project also aims to bring together amateur instrumentalists and singers around an ambitious, coherent and long-term artistic project,” adds the Department.
Open to the general public
Initially, during discussions with the participants, Sergio Piterbarg detects individual qualities and then offers them collective work.
“They also discover percussion instruments which they quickly master and enjoy using,” underlines the Department. The artist also works on vocal technique and gradually and at the same time introduces participants to new musical pieces.
A proposal open to as many people as possible: Amateurs with a natural predisposition to vocal and/or instrumental practice, knowing or not the Occitan language and/or culture. “A solid core of choristers has been formed since January, in four sections, which only needs to be expanded. The enthusiasm of the participants has allowed us to tackle a certain number of pieces successfully. All the everyone finds themselves there”, continues the Department.
Occitan is very present as well as a repertoire of world music with an emphasis on Spain, Italy and the Americas. The workshops take place in the orchestra room of the Union Musicale, Place Bernard Lhez in Villefranche, on Fridays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. They will be interrupted in mid-June and will resume at the beginning of September. Recruitment takes place all year round.
A project in partnership with the Town Hall, the CCOR, the IEO du Villefranchois, the Cultura & Cia association, with the support of the DRAC Occitanie.
