Harmony in Pentemont Abbey


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Last night came as an anti-climax. All Fridays after work I sit on my couch with my computer on my lap and head straight to the Daily Post Photo challenge. Alas! Yesterday, there was none, so I took my Kindle and went to bed. Fortunately, this morning, I discovered the “Harmony” challenge. As I make photos for the choir of the Paris 14th district, I chose a selection of pictures from their latest Dido & Aeneas concert. It was carried out at the beautiful Protestant Church, Temple de Pentemont or Pentemont Abbey, rue de Grenelle in the 7th district of Paris. I was able to take stairs and secret passages to a platform way above the stage and take pictures of the choir and the orchestra from above.

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This shot cost me a few efforts and I had to fight my way through secret passages carved in the wood panelling of this beautiful and crooked 18th century building (originally a Catholic Abbey but turned into a Protestant Church (temple in French) later on. Fortunately the wars of religion are over).

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A view from the ground-floor.


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The conductor from my hiding place some 30 feet above the ground

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And the rest of the chamber orchestra.

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She played the wicked witch and really looked like one. She was immensely successful in that difficult but very expressive part of Purcell’s Masterpiece.

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Harmony too in the way the Barytone was trimming his moustache.

Harmony isn’t limited to music. I could have chosen Harmony in painting too. As it happens, I am also a watercolourist. Or at least I used to be.

Yann Gourvennec
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9 Comments

  1. Yann, all over the world there were bloggers waiting and waiting and waiting for the challenge to come out! After 11 hours of periodic checking, I went to bed, too. 🙂 Glad you persevered, though, as this is a beautiful set of photos!

    janet

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