The town of Bedford, just 100km inland from Grahamstown, is already known for its annual garden festival; its BBs are booked out each year by visitors who come from all over and its best restaurant and other eateries clatter with a frenzy to meet the demand for grub.
The town of Bedford, just 100km inland from Grahamstown, is already known for its annual garden festival; its BBs are booked out each year by visitors who come from all over and its best restaurant and other eateries clatter with a frenzy to meet the demand for grub.
Now to add some culture to its humble fame: classical music enthusiast Charles Brett, who already presents monthly concerts of recorded music in the elaborately equipped music room in his home, now plans a weekend programme of live classical music in the town.
It will be a first for Bedford.
He has booked a talented quartet from Rhodes University, led by a lecturer and celebrated Chilean violinist, Juan Munoz, for the weekend of 5 and 6 May. There is a demand for seats already.
An enticing aspect of the weekend is the venues where the live concerts will be held. The first is in the expansive, nationally known picture garden at Maasstrom at the edge of the village. This is at lunchtime on Saturday 5 May and there will be a light meal available afterwards.
The second concert that evening will be more formal – dress suits, lounge suits at least, or (given the town’s Scottish heritage) kilts. The music will include a Beethoven String Quartet and the fairly substantial price of R200 each will include a candle-lit dinner at Camelot, a large residence at the foot of the local mountain.
More lighthearted will be the final Sunday lunchtime concert in Bedford's fascinating, greatly refurbished Old Jail (spelt more politely by refined folk in town as “the Old Gaol” but pronounced, of course, exactly the same way). This programme includes tangos by the Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla, whose music was regarded as being so sexy that a critic urged dancers to strip at least to their underwear before they took to the floor.
There will be a cash bar for audience members who need cooling down afterwards, and a light lunch.
Booking is through Charles Brett (076 325 7149) and accommodation can be arranged through Catherine Norton (046 586 1001 or 072 277 6870).
