Summer in Seville

Summer has officially arrived in Seville, since the season of outdoor concerts in the Alcazar Gardens started this week. They run until 24 August, with nightly shows throughout the entire 11-week period. Every year, over a good chunk of weeks (usually late June/early July till mid-September, so earlier this year) is covered by this wonderful festival. The opportunity to wander in the Alcazar gardens floodlit by night, with their towering palm trees, extraordinary structures, grottos and hidden corners, is one not to be missed. Click here to see the full programme (you can search by date, or group, and - new for this year's website - listen to a sample of music by each group - great for finding out if it's to your taste or not), ticket prices and booking details. Tickets go on sale on a week-by-week basis, every Monday; so now (as of last Monday, 11 June) you can buy tickets for concerts up to Sunday 24 June. Next Monday (18 June), the next batch, for the week of 25 June to 1 July, will go on sale. And so on. The performances are divided into various categories - Antique Music, Classical Music, Flamenco, World Music, and other. An English musician based in Seville (and friend of mine), who plays principal oboe in the Seville Symphonic Orchestra, is appearing in a wind trio called Trio Agora on 11 and 26 July. Their programme sounds most appealing: from Mozart to Swing, and includes Beethoven, Joplin and Gershwin. Flamenco will be performed by young Huelvan singer Rocio Marquez , known as the "Southern Star", on 17 and 27 June and 1 and 13 August. Those haunting sounds in such an incomparably beautiful setting will be enough to send shivers down the spine of even the most inculto person. Blues and boogie-woogie fans won't want to miss the piano and harmonica concert - only one date - by Lluis Coloma and Mingo Balaguer on the last Sunday of the season, 19 August. I cannot recommend these concerts highly enough - the quality of the performers is always excellent, the backdrop is nothing short of spectacular, the temperatures balmy, and it's an experience you'll keep with you for ever.
Blog published on 14 June 2012