The Island of Ouessant is a magical place whose name continues to resonate... unforgettable, persistent, inescapable... in the imagination of all those who have experienced its reality. "Britanny is a place one must leave behind in wishing to live there, the ear pressed to this deep murmering shell, its call that of a cloister's wall exposed to the sea, the wind and sky, the naked earth, and nothing: it is here the province of the soul." (J. Gracq, Lettrines )
The opportunity to hold a course which reunites music and theatre is naturally an experience we all eagerly await.

From 27 au 31 may 2008 Violin : Mira Glodeanu Cembalo : Frédérick Haas Violone / Double Bass: James Munro Chamber music : Benoit Douchy Japanese Noh Theatre : Masato Matsuura Coproduction between Ausonia, Métamusique, école Sayu

Our friends Jean-Pierre and Françoise Gestin are the founders of the two beautiful museums situated on the island. Over the past 40 years Jean-Pierre has filmed, recorded, questioned, listened to, cherished and lived with the last survivors of a fascinating civilisation: there are wonderful tales to be heard on the Isand of Ouessant! And of course early music, on an island far removed from the constraints of time: violin, harpsichord and violone - the fundaments of the ensemble Ausonia. There will also be Japanese Noh Theatre, older still, whose ancient tradition offers us a new perspective in understanding the deeper reality of our own Western artistic practices.

The courses will be held each afternoon, either individually or in groups for the musicians. Any music from the 16th - 18th century is welcome, though we would like to concentrate more particularly on the older part of the repertoire whose rhetorique and development are perhaps closest to the spirit of oral tradition. (Harpsichordists will have access to three different harpsichords; one a copy of a 16th century Neopolitan instrument, with gut strings; and the two others (8+4, 2X8), copies of Ruckers.

Actors, dancers or artists wishing to experience a more profound physical engagement will discover the art of Masato Matsuura through the study of the fundamental forms of Japanese Noh theatre and their origins in the art of the sword and the ancient practices of Tai-Chi and Qi-Gong.

The mornings will be free. Jean-Pierre Gestin, once curator and founder of the island's two museums, will be our guide in discovering the beauty of the island, sharing with us the compelling human story inherent in each object preserved on the Island of Ouessant.

Each morning, Masato Matsuura will hold a physical awareness and warm-up class, a must for musicians and actors alike, in the open air... weather permitting (it rains less frequently on the Island of Ouessant than on the mainland!).

We will have the oportunity to share our eveings, by candle light and with music, in the chapel of St. Gildas on the western most tip of the island, the pointe de Pern.

Pratical Information   Period of the Course;   27 to 31 May, 2008 Arrival on the Island of Ouessant by boat, departiong either from Le Conquet or Brest. Evening of   26th May,   Welcome for participants Evening of   31st May, an informal concert by participants and teachers Return, morning of 1st June Fee for the Course: 320 € Accommodation: 170 € per person, meals incuded Shared rooms (2-4 persons) at the Centre d'études du milieu A payment (non-refundable) of 50€ is required to confirm enrolment All payments should be made to the account of the ASBL Métamusique CCP Dexia: 068-2468882-65 IBAN : BE18-0682-4688-8265 BIC : GKCCBEBB Oline enrolment : Enrolment form Futher information: : contact@metamusique.com Contact can also be made by telephone: James Munro : +31 70 365 9398 Frédérick Haas : +32 81 74 75 50