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The choir visited various sights and towns around the Camargue area. First of these was the 'Pont du Garde', a Roman aqueduct spanning a valley. Some of the party were lucky enough to see a stuntman plummet off the aqueduct into the river below as part of a film for Working Titles, and then perform a backflip from the same spot. The party also ventured into the centre of Nimes, where we had some free time. The following day, on a sight-seeing trip around Arles, the Close Harmony Group sang briefly before the whole party was toured around the bull fighting arena. Next, we visited a bull farm in the Camargue which bred bulls for the fights. We were driven through the enclosures in trailers pulled by a tractor. On the same day, the choir was shown around the plant one of the leading salt manufacturers in the Camargue. Aigues-Mortes, another of the towns we visited, was a vibrant medieval town enclosed within a mile of city walls. The party walked the ramparts (picture left) and visited the 'Tour de Constance', The choir also visited Les Saintes Maries de la Mer and Avignon, where we saw the famous 'pont' from the nursery rhyme and the Palais des Papes.
The choir had three scheduled concerts to perform during the tour. The first was a concert in Arles. The acoustics in the church and the location of the organ console made it very hard to perform well, but the choir concentrated and a good performance was given. The second concert was the highlight of the trip. It was in a beautiful 'fortified' church in Les Saintes Maries de la Mer (picture left), which had equally beautiful acoustics. The choir performed one of the best concerts for a long time, and received a standing ovation from the packed church. The choir performed at the Mass in the third church, a secluded building in Avignon, and the Close Harmony performed a short concert following the Mass.
Main trips page
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