Oporto 2004

"A flor murcha e seca
Ate a proxima Primavera.
Eu quero pouco.
Apenas procuro
a Primavera Eterna."

So sang Westbury Singers on their recent visit to Oporto.

A party of 28 members of the choir visited Bristol's Portuguese twin city to sing 2 concerts during their weekend stay, which lasted from Thursday 7th until Monday 11th October. This was the second visit to one of our twin cities by the choir, who visited Hannover in 2001.

The timing of this visit to Oporto was particularly appropriate as this year marks 20 years of existence of the twinning charter between the cities - a fact which is being celebrated throughout the year by Bristol - Oporto Association with various activities.

The choir was able to combine singing with exploring the different sights of this ancient city which was designated The European Capital of Culture in 2001. It has been made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The steep streets, river views and intimate housing made for fascinating exploring by choir members - not to mention the restaurents and port wine cellars.

Concerts were given on Saturday and Sunday evenings. The first concert was given at "The British Club" and included a mixture of classical and pop songs from Deep River to Goodnight Sweetheart. A presentation was also made at this concert to Mrs Cora Aspey who has been so instrumental in keeping the Bristol link thriving in Oporto. The concert was followed by a dinner for Club and choir members which was a wonderful occasion for making friendships.

The second concert was given at the Mirante Methodist Church where Mrs Aspey's husband Albert had been minister for over 30 uears until his recent death. This programme was more religious in flavour but also included 2 Portuguese songs which the choir had collected during their planning visit earlier in the year and had learnt especially for these performances. it was made even more memorable as the composers of both songs had made an effort to attend the concert and were present in the audience. The choir was very grateful to receive a standing ovation at the end of this concert.

The choir's thanks are gratefully extended to everyone who helped make this wonderful visit possible, either through their financial or practical support.

Incidentally, the song's lyrics mean:

"The flower withers and dries until next Spring.
I want little.
I only seek
Eternal Spring"