Europa Cantat XVII Utrecht 2009 has started today, and will run during 10 days with its choir workshops for singers, a seminar for choir conductors, lots of concerts, and all imaginable parallel activities. It is the first time this festival takes place in The Netherlands and the reception couldn’t be better, as I saw yesterday evening, because the Oudegracht filled up with people everywhere, to attend the opening Sail and Sing that took place from 19.00.

The first boat surprised me with Purcell (If Love’s a sweet passion), followed by Charpentier (ouverture from the Te Deum), Cole Porter (Night and Day), sailor’s songs, Mexican rancheras or Spanish villancicos…, and so on and on for around 3 hours!

Spontaneous people sung from their little boats, and we also had a lot of fun with the presence of this guy, who played accompanied by his own little street organ or just improvised with the singers:

The only pity: I would have worked correpetiting in the workshop of Adrian van del Spoel, which will focuss on late 16th and early 17th centuries Italian music. But the dates…, again the dates.