The members of Southwell and Sarzana Gemellaggio Association are very busy preparing for the imminent visit of 30 people from Sarzana. The visitors are mainly from the Cathedral Choir of Sarzana, Pueri Cantores della Basilica Cattedrale di Sarzana and some of their parents. They are being hosted by members of the Italian twinning association and a few of the Minster Girls’ Choir parents. They land at Stansted on Wednesday April 20th, hopefully arriving in Southwell around lunchtime. While they are here, as well as a social programme, they are performing three concerts and joining the Girls’ Choir and Lay Clerks for Evensong. Included in the programme is a visit to Newstead Abbey, with a guided tour after which they will perform a concert. On Friday they are performing at the Minster in the Lunchtime Series of concerts, and similarly on Saturday they have a lunchtime concert in Newark Parish Church. After singing in Evensong on Saturday there is a catered Reception in the Residence in Vicars’ Court for our visitors, hosts and members. We are excited to welcome, these, our first visitors from Sarzana. This follows the successful tour of Sarzana and area by a group of our lay Clerks last May and will be followed early in September 2016 with a visit to Sarzana by the Minster Girls’ Choir with their leader Simon Hogan, some parents and friends.
The Southwell Town Council and the Mayor of Sarzana have already exchanged letters of friendship and we are building up relationships with local people in Sarzana and area currently largely through the musical connection. Sarzana has a strong cultural tradition and as well as musicians, like Southwell, it boasts artists and craftspeople and it may well be possible to establish links through our shared cultural interests.
If anyone is interested to know more about this visit or about our Italian Twinning Association please contact us.
Sue Dymond (Chair) 01636 814992
E-mail: suedymond@me.com
Lynn Dorling (Vice Chair) 01623 883006
E-mail: lynndorling@yahoo.co.uk
southwellsarzana.com 