10 years already...
On Saturday 2nd of October 1999 the thousand year old stones of the Sainte-Marie Madeleine basilica of Vézelay echoed for the first time to the sound of the voices of the Arsys Bourgogne choir, sealing – as no one could imagine at the time – the destiny of an incredible and unique and artistic and human adventure.
Pierre Cao conducted the Vespers to the Virgin Mary by Claudio Monteverdi, in response to the decision which, some months before, I had brought to be voted by all our founder partners: to install, on a permanent basis, the young professional choir and the future team in charge of its development on the heights of the Vézelay hill. Here at home, in the Yonne, in the heart of Burgundy, and its green-belt the Morvan natural park.
Ten years later, the members of this first Board of Administrators remember the unanimous decision they made at the time. Just as Pierre and I often remember the excellent sunny afternoon, sat on a bench, in the gardens of the ancient hospices, dreaming of this project, of touring with the choir, the future festival, and lots more…
One often forgets that certain choices stem as much from the influence of the place which inspires them as the procedure of a rational decision.
Still asking myself today how we got here, I remember the famous phrase of La Boétie about his friend Montaigne : “ because it was Arsys, because it was Vézelay “
.Patrick Bacot
Managing Director of the Cité des musiques et des arts vivants dans l'Yonne
Chairman of Arsys Bourgogne |
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Patrick Bacot
Photo: Raynald Henry © |
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