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Mentés Másként Ensemble ENGLAND TOUR 2022.
Mentés Másként Ensemble was ready to go on tour to England when the pandemic burst and blocked our tour in 2020. We are very happy to say, that the ensemble was able to get back to play for audience in Cambridge in between the 26th to 30th October, 2022. Many people came to take part in the „mentés másként” *”save as” experience!
We were able to meet our audience at four concerts and a dance event called „táncház”, many of which became our „fans” and followed us through the events. For every concert, adjusting to the special venues, specialised programs were made, thus the experience became highly fulfilling.
Opening the tour at St Mark’s Church gave a very intimate feeling with great hospitality. From the religious songs gathered by János Kájoni in the Cantinale Catholicum (1676.), the Introitus and Gloria were executed in high standard. The folk music arrangement of the kolinda „Napnak három szép húga…” („Three sisters of the Sun…”) gave a very pleasant feeling.
The music director of St Catharine’s College, conductor Dr Edward Wickham was happy to think back at our musical friendship, thanks to which our pupils were able to meet and work together in Szeged - Cambridge choir swap-projects. It was great joy to play in the phantastic acoustic surroundings of the Chapel, with our public loving the historic song to St László and also the religious song by Balassi „Mearciful God” (Kegyelmes Isten) the most. To the appeal of our fans, we have added the song „Ideki a csenderbe…” (“Out in the bush...”) to this program, which we played as an extra present.
We were also returning to Wolfson College as old friends, visiting the audience of professors and postgraduates. Conductor and music organiser Lynette Alcantara felt that it was of great importance to have Mentés Másként Ensemble opening their concert year using music and dance from Moldva, for finding new ways of community building even in Cambridge, after the circumstances which were keeping all of us apart and distanced for a very long time. The dancers liked the „pálmáska”, „bulgáros” and „drumul dragului” the best. The accelerating „Voltam én is, mikor voltam…” („Once I was, when I was...”) was given a great applause.
The final concert of the tour of 2022. crowned the very thick experience of the these four days. Our dear friend and main organiser Julia Seiber Boyd, chair of the Mátyás Seiber Trust and the Cambridge Szeged Society, keeper of the heritage of our composer Mátyás Seiber, shared details of the Mentés Másként tour with some very touching thoughts about our cultural friendship. We were able to meet in art-work with singer and conductor James Eisner, who had brought to us members of the Georgian choir. It was great to work at some pieces together and sing the popular folk song „Tavaszi szél...” („Spring breeze…”) in a polyphonic setting made by the Georgian choir.
It was and honour to meet the Mayor and his wife, the Mayoress of Cambridge, with whom we have had a very nice exchange of valuable and memorable thoughts accompanied by great English tea. Strengthening the 35 year old twin city connection with Szeged, we were kindly handed a plaque and the badge of the Mayor of Cambridge.
Thanks to all our helpers and sponsors for the contribution in organising the Mentés Másként Ensemble England tour 2022.!
Group line-up:
Márton Barta – flute, kaval, fuyara, vocals
Tünde Fábri-Ivánovics – vocals, pecussions
Géza Fábri – plucked folk lute koboz, tambura, vocals
www.mentesmaskent.hu
https://www.facebook.com/mentesmaskentegyuttes
Supporters of Mentés Másként Együttes England TOUR 2022.:
Human Capacities Grant Management Office (EMET) – National Cultural Fund of Hungary – Béla Halmos Program
Cambridge Szeged Society
Seiber Mátyás Trust
St Catharine’s College
Wolfson College
https://halmosbelaprogram.hu/
