This Sunday, the Temple of Millau will be the setting for a unique concert entitled “Mozart and the lights”, where the talent of the Departmental Choir of Aveyron will meet the musical expertise of Georges Lartigau, renowned organist. This event is part of the cultural project “These musicians who marked their time”, an initiative supported by the Department of Aveyron to promote significant musical works of classical heritage.
Georges Lartigauwho has been playing the organ in Mende since 2021, is a well-known figure among music lovers in the region. Having worked for a long time in the Paris region as an organist and teacher, he recently moved to the south of France, where he shares his knowledge in the conservatories of Aveyron, Corrèze and La Creuse. This concert is also a great opportunity for him to reunite with a long-time collaborator, Catherine Bassettartistic director of the Departmental Choir of Aveyron since 2012. Catherine Bassett also directs the women's choir “Les Caramandi's” in Carmaux and founded the men's choir “Orphéon” in Blaye-les-Mines. This musical complicity, which has been forged over the years, gives rise to performances of great intensity.
The Departmental Choir of Aveyron, made up of twenty-five amateur choristers from throughout the department, has the mission of democratizing the practice of choral singing in rural areas, with the support of the Departmental Council of Aveyron. True to its vocation, the choir performs in the towns of Aveyron such as Rodez, Millau and Albi, as well as in more rural areas. The proposed repertoire mainly explores a cappella works, ranging from the Middle Ages to contemporary times.
This Sunday, the program is rich and varied: opening, the Missa brevis K 194 and the Misericordias K 222 by Mozart, followed by three a cappella motets by Michael Haydn. An instrumental part will also be devoted to works by Fanny Mendelssohn and Marius Gueit, for which the organ will resonate alone, thus offering total immersion in the virtuosity and sensitivity of Georges Lartigau.
This concert is open to all, with free participation. An invitation to discover or rediscover the beauty of choral singing accompanied by organ, in a place where the acoustics will magnify each note. The Departmental Choir of Aveyron also reminds that new choristers are always welcome, and invites anyone interested to join them during monthly rehearsals at the Saint-Joseph La Salle college in Rodez.
A musical event not to be missed for fans of Mozart and the classical sacred repertoire, this Sunday, November 17 at 5 p.m. at the Temple of Millau.
France
