From May 11th to 14th, the third edition of the International Music Festival Harps to the Max particularly highlighted horse riding and horses. In the heart of the Asney region in the Loire, in the Pays d'Ancenis (44), this original show merged two very different worlds... Harp and horse!
This year offered a rich program for lovers of this stringed instrument... including an equestrian show! This unique spectacle took place at the Teillé-Mouzeil Memorial Park on Saturday, May 13.
For the alliance of these two arts, Margot Passefort, former trainer of Mario Luraschi's equestrian troupe Cavalcade, joined the harpist Adeline de Preissac accompanied by the actress Eléonore Seguin, and to the rhythm of the harp, the audience was presented with the most beautiful figures in high school dressage. This show was born from the meeting of a musician and a teacher-researcher at the Sorbonne, both passionate about combining their arts and creating a unique show.
Based on treatises, poems, and scientific studies, they imagined a show reflecting the particularities of music and horses. The passion that united them was at the heart of the show and was shared through musical compositions and texts by the great writers of equestrian history. The arts sublimate and combine to reveal a world of incredible depth. This dreamlike tale describes traditional horsemanship full of lightness, an art in which the artist is not the rider, but the horse.
About the Festival at Max
The Harpes au Max Festival is a unique event celebrating the harp in all its forms. This festival was created in 2015 by the town of Ancenis-Saint-Géréon, in partnership with the Ambronay Cultural Meeting Center and the Harp Centre of Wales. Its aim is to showcase the richness and diversity of this ancient instrument through concerts, workshops, exhibitions, and encounters with artists from around the world. The festival takes place every two years in May in the prestigious setting of Ancenis Castle and its gardens.
It welcomes internationally renowned harpists, as well as young talents and passionate amateurs. The festival offers an eclectic program, which mixes musical genres, from classical to jazz, including folk, rock and world music. The festival is also a place of sharing and conviviality, where the public can interact with the artists, try harps from different origins and participate in fun and educational activities. The Harpes au Max Festival is an invitation to travel into the fascinating world of the harp, an instrument that never ceases to surprise and amaze us.
About this instrument… the harp
The harp is a plucked string instrument that has existed since antiquity. It originated from the musical bow, whose string vibrates and produces a sound. The first traces of the harp are found in Mesopotamia, around 3500 BC, where it was used during religious ceremonies. It then spread to Egypt, Greece, and the Celtic countries, where it became the instrument of bards and poets. The harp has undergone several evolutions throughout its history: it went from an arched shape to an angular one, then to a triangular one, with the addition of a column to reinforce the structure. It has also varied in the number of strings, material, and mechanism, to adapt to the needs of music and technical advances. The harp is an instrument rich in symbolism, expressing the connection between heaven and earth, the sacred and the profane, dream and reality.
About this art… horse riding
The history of horse riding is very ancient and dates back to the domestication of the horse in Central Asia, several millennia ago. Horse riding initially played a utilitarian and military role, allowing men to move and fight on horseback. The Greeks were the first to develop a learned style of horsemanship, with the famous master rider Xenophon. Horse riding then diversified according to cultures and needs, giving rise to numerous disciplines such as show jumping, dressage, endurance, western riding, and ethological riding. Horse riding gradually became a sport and leisure activity, especially from the 20th century onwards, with the democratization of equestrian centers and pony clubs. Horse riding is also an art that requires a relationship of trust and respect between rider and horse.
André Tirlet
Photos: Luxe Infinity
