It was a long drive to St Trojan, on a warm sunny day and through some lovely countryside. Neither my friend nor I were so impressed by the town nor the route once on the Ile d'Oleron: it felt touristy in a soul-less way, with something essential lacking. Curiously, we'd just been discussing the validity of first impressions: perhaps we both need another visit to re-assess it.
The concert itself went very well indeed. The audience obviously preferred the bouncy second half to the more serious (both more subtle and better sung) first half. I've often remarked that concerts in France get a bigger audience than in England, even though it seems that the knowledge of and response to classical music is about the same in both countries. People turn out to performances, musical or theatrical, willing to be entertained. Back in England, choirs are often relieved that the audience outnumber those on stage.
Overall, they enjoyed it enough to give us a standing ovation and demand encores, and ask us to come back. It's always good to have pleased punters. :)
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