folkermesse

Folkermesse in Vercelli

Vercelli - piazza Cavour and Stivell's Celtic Arp (photos by A. Bianchi)

Wheather you have heard about Vercelli or not, let's say that it is not the best place in the world to have a good time! Vercelli is surrounded by rice fields, its territory is flat like surf board and is tortured by fog in wintertime and mosquitos during summer. It really sounds like a tedious place, doesn't it? Nevertheless, thanks to the association Ethnosuoni, every year the town becomes the protagonist of the most important folk music event in Piedmont, which is also one of the major rendez-vous of the genre all over Italy.

The event, which this year is called Folkermesse 2000, will colour Vercelli's summer nights, bringing to the town, and not only there (since several rendez-vous are scheduled throughout Piedmont and beyond the region's borders), folk music from every corner of the world.

We wish also to point out that the substantial difference between Folkermesse and other such festivals consists in greatly enhancing the artistic and naturalistic patrimony alongside with local production of food and wine.

In other words, we are talking about a mix of music and the rediscovery of a land characterized by beautiful landscapes and architectonical masterpieces, apart from an excellent age old cooking tradition.

CONCERTS
The major events of Folkermesse certainly are night concerts. Throughout the festival plenty of very well-known guests will perform. The programme of concerts, which usually take place from May to September, can be seen in its LINK, but such names as Alan Stivell (who performed in 1996), are undoubtedly worth to remember; TRANSITALIA, 1997's production directed by Moni Ovadia, was very succesful, staging 26 musicians playing together in a big folk orchestra.

Alan Stivell

Not only concerts, then: the most renowned folk-music ensembles and dance companies will be performing all throughout the city centre during daytime.

Bal De Diables, Catalonia

In fact, Buskers' appearence is not to be forgotten and you can enjoy their shows in Vercelli just as if you were at Covent Garden or in Place du Tertre.

Otto & Barnelli

Each event is imbued with its own cultural significance but we wish to turn the lights especially on the ludic aspect, which wakes up these otherwise sleeping lands..

Attending this kind of performances, listening to music normally difficult to find, and (why not?) dancing to the rhythm of a jig or a scottish - folk dances to dance all together hand in hand - is really a wonderful way to spend summertime!

Rendez-vous in Vercellii
Other rendez-vous