BargaOpera Events Part Two

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Francis

ROBERTO PROSSEDA PLAYS MENDELSSOHN

The Bargaopera Festival is presenting a series of concerts centrered on the work of Mendelssohn starting on Sunday, July 30 at 9.30 pm, with pianist Roberto, who will perform at the Teatro dei Differenti

Born in Latina and winner of the Salzburg Mozart Prize, Roberto Prosseda regularly plays with some of the most important orchestras in the world: London Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic, Moscow State Philharmonic, Santa Cecilia, Scala Philharmonic, Brussels Philharmonic, Residentie Orkest , Netherlands Symphony, Berliner Symphoniker. He has recently gained international recognition following his Decca recordings dedicated to Mendelssohn’s piano. He is the winner of numerous awards, including the CHOC of Le Monde de la Musique-Classica, Diapason d’Or, Best of the Month of Classic FM, Leipziger Volkszeitung’s “Best of the 2012”, “Supersonic” presented by ‘Pizzicato’ magazine (1/2013), the ICMA nomination (International Classical Music Awards).

TRIO AGORÀ AT TEATRO DEI DIFFERENTI

Trio Agora recital on Monday 31 July, Teatro dei Differenti, at 9.30 pm.

TRIO BUSCH AT TEATRO DEI DIFFERENTI

Trio Busch on Tuesday, August 1st, Teatro dei Differenti, at 9.30 pm.

GABRIELE STRATA PIANO RECITAL

Pianist Gabriele Strata on Wednesday 2 August, Teatro dei Differenti, at 9.30 pm.

THE BUSCH TRIO PLAY MENDELSSOHN

The Trio Busch play Thursday, August 3, Teatro dei Differenti, at 9.30 pm.

AXEL TIROLESE RECITAL

Pianist Axel Tirolese recital on Friday 4th of August, Teatro dei Differenti, at 9.30 pm.

BAROQUE VIOLIN AND THEORBO DUO

On Monday 31 July at 6.30 pm in the Volta dei Menchi (where Via Giannetti meets Via di Borgo) there’s the first baroque music event.

Nina Przewozniak, Francesco Olivero – baroque violin and theorbo

RECITAL BY HARPSICHORDIST PABLO VARELA

On Thursday 3 August at 6.30 pm in the Volta dei Menchi (where Via Giannetti meets Via di Borgo) there’s second baroque music concert with harpsichord Pablo Varela.

RICCARDO DONI HARPSICHORD RECITAL

On Friday, August 4th at 6.30 pm in the Volta dei Menchi (where Via Giannetti meets Via di Borgo) there’s the third baroque music concert with harpsichord Riccardo Doni.

LISTENING COMPARISONS IN PIAZZA ANGELIO

On Tuesday, August 1, at 6.30 pm, Angelio Square (historic centre of Barga) there’s the first night of listening comparisons with the recital of Luigi Attademo, guitar.

On Tuesday, August 1st, at 11 pm, Angelio Square (historic centre of Barga) there’s the second evening of listening comparisons with performances entitled “Mendelssohn” by Antonio Bido and “Da Grande Suonerò Mozart” by Stefano Missio.

HI-FI SHORT FILMS

On Wednesday, August 2, at 6.30 pm, Angelio Square (historic centre of Barga) there’s the third evening of listening comparisons with Francesco Olivero and “Cortometraggi in alta fedeltà” (Hi-fi short films) produced in collaboration with HI FI Natali.

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (original Daguerrotype 1845)

A Swallow Starts to Fly

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Francis

It’s a hundred years ago that the swallow first flew. I am, of course, referring to Puccini’s swallow, ‘La Rondine’, his unduly neglected semi-operetta which was first performed at Montecarlo (the French one…not the one near us in the Lucchesia).

We attended a performance of this truly delightful piece at the open-air theatre by Puccini’s lakeside house at Torre Del Lago this July 15th.

In the theatre’s exhibition space, among other items, there was an amazing paper sculpture which somehow reminded one of those terracotta warriors.

There was a brisk wind blowing – a ‘libeccio’ – and the Apuan Mountains and the lake could be seen crystal clear against a brilliant sunset.

It was rightly a dramatic opening to a great evening. Throughout the performance we could hear the waves lapping against the shore. It was not, however, unduly a distracting sound and the wind did wonders with the female singers’ dresses!

Up to the wrenching finale when a mini-Traviata like situation (without the heavy bits) is enacted there’s one gorgeous melody after another. Act two represents a Bohème-like café Momus scenario with lively interchanges between courting couples, a great chorus and some delicate choreography.

All I can say about the performance at Torre del Lago is that it was one of the most perfect productions I have heard there for some time. The sets and costumes were so appropriate to a nineteenth century Parisian scene and the descending circular staircase was a scenic inspiration. The singing was on the highest level, particularly the two main protagonists Donata D’Annunzio Lombardi as Magda and Leonardo Caimi as Ruggero. The conducting by Beatrice Venezi (still not many women conductors in Italy) was most sensitive.

Every time I attend a performance of ‘la Rondine’ (which is not too often since it is one of the least given of the maestro’s works) my estimation of this opera/operetta increases. There’s so much of Puccini’s heart in it that it could only come out of a fraught extra-marital love affair (which we know now it does – with a German baroness Puccini was secretly meeting up with). If you are lucky to attend the next performance of la Rondine at the lakeside do listen out for the exquisite quartet Bevo al tuo fresco sorriso, between Magda, Ruggero, Lisette and Prunier in act two and Ruggiero’s aria: Dimmi che vuoi seguirmi alla mia casa in act three.

It’s ‘Il sogno di Doretta’, however, which melts my heart every time I hear it. Due to the normal restrictions on taking photos or recordings at a live performance I can only present you with one of my favourite recordings: Renée Fleming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNt3iiqjLww

Who does not know ‘La Rondine’ does not truly know Puccini!

This is the cast list of the performance we attended.

LA RONDINE


Production	Plamen Kartaloff

Conductor	Beatrice Venezi

Magda	Donata D’Annunzio Lombardi

Lisette	Elisabetta Zizzo

Ruggero	Leonardo Caimi

Prunier	Alberto Petricca

Rambaldo	Davide Mura

Périchaud	Alessandro Biagiotti

Gobin	Emmanuel Lombardi

Crébillon	Claudio Ottino

Yvette	Anna Paola Troiano

Bianca	Anna Russo

Suzy	Donatella De Caro

Do check out future performances at the festival’s web site at

Edizione 2017

PS Here is an excerpt from the performance we attended, courtesy of NOI TV. You can see how windy it was that night!

BARGA OPERA’S PROGRAMME THIS YEAR PART I

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Francis

MONTEVERDI’S VESPERS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

On the 27th of July the 51st OperaBarga Festival begins. It’s organized by the Opera Barga Cultural Association, president Nicholas Hunt and artistic conductor Massimo Fino.

Events will take place in the charming town in various locations, alternating sacred music with chamber music, baroque music and music by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.

Thursday, July 27, at 9.30 pm – Barga Cathedral – Opening Concert with the Vespers of the Blessed Virgin by Claudio Monteverdi (on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of his birth).

Conductor: Federico Maria Sardelli

Choir and Soloists of the Ensemble and Orchestra of the Invaghiti Academy

INFO: tel / fax 0583 711068

operabarga@gmail.com

LE MUSICHE ENSEMBLE AT THE TEATRO DEI DIFFERENTI

Friday, July 28, at 9.30 pm – Teatro dei Differenti – concert by the Le Musiche Ensemble, conductor Simone Bernardini

LE MUSICHE ENSEMBLE IN THE ST. ELISABETTA CLOISTER

July 29, 6.30 pm – St. Elisabetta cloister (historical centre) – concert by the Le Musiche Ensemble, conductor Simone Bernardini

DEBORAH YORK AND PRIVITERA’S “RIME”

July 29, 9.30 pm – Teatro dei Differenti – recital with the “Rime amorose e teologiche della Nobilissima Signora Zerina Samietz di Sebenico”. (“Love and theological rhymes of the most noble lady Zerina Samietz of Šibenik”). Music by Antonello Privitera.

Performers:

Soprano, Deborah York

Treble viol, Alberto Rasi

Tenor viol, Claudia Pasetto

Bass viol, Paolo Biordi

Piano and direction, Stefano Salvatori

Deborah York is one of the most famous baroque sopranos in Europe. Graduating in musicology with the highest marks from the University of Manchester, she sings in all the major theatres of Europe and with the greatest conductors. She sang in Claudio Abbado’s last concert with the Berlin Philharmonic in May 2013, the orchestra he conducted from 1990 to 2002.

Deborah York has recorded over 40 CDs and debuted at Glyndebourne as Servilia in Mozart’s “Clemenza di Tito”. She regularly sings in the world’s major theatres (Covent Garden, Staatsoper Berlin, Opera di Roma, Teatro La Fenice, Venice, Carnegie Hall, New York, Mozarteum, Palau de La Musica). She has sung Mozart, Gluck, Handel, Britten, Monteverdi, Telemann and Purcell.

LE MUSICHE ENSEMBLE IN THE ST. ELISABETTA CLOISTER

July 30, 6.30 pm – St. Elisabetta cloister (historical centre) – concert by the Le Musiche Ensemble, conductor Simone Bernardini (see photo)

FESTIVAL ‘S CLOSING CONCERT

August 5, 9:30 pm – Chiesa del SS. Crocifisso

Closing Concert with the l’Orchestra dell’ Accademia dell’Annunciata conducted by Riccardo Doni

Angelo Calvo, Pierfrancesco Pelà, Violins

Maria Bocelli, Viola

Maria Calvo,

Maria Calvo, Violoncello

Paolo Bogno, Violone

Elisa La Marca, Liuto

Programme:

Giovanni Bassano RICERCATA a Violino solo

Claudio Monteverdi SINFONIA dall’Orfeo

ARMATO IL COR – madrigale a due transposed for two violins and basso continuo

Andrea Falconiero IL SPIRITILLO for Viola and Violoncello

Christofaro Caserana TARANTELLA for Viola and Violoncello

Giovanni Gabrieli CANZONI La Spiritata

Hieronymus Kapsberger CANZONE I for solo Lute

Dario Castello SONATA XVI a 4

Antonio Vivaldi SONATA Op1 n 12 “LA FOLLIA”

Antonio Vivaldi CONCERTO in C major. RV 114

Baldassarre Galuppi CONCERTO n. 1 a quattro in A minor,

Antonio Vivaldi SINFONIA in D major, RV 125

____________________________

Sam’s First Birthday (in his New Centennial)!

Posted on July 16, 2017 by Francis

Professor Franklin Samuel Stych of Birmingham and Bagni di Lucca – Sam as he is more affectionately known among his friends – celebrated his one hundred and first birthday yesterday. A scrumptious spread of savouries and sweets together with Sam’s favourite sparkling wine were laid out thanks to Rita and Angelo in the courtyard of Sam’s house in the oldest part of Bagni di Lucca and close to the Villas where such by-gone greats as Montaigne, Byron and Shelley would spend their summer.

In the company of his best friends, and with a previous visit from Bagni’s new mayor,

Sam successfully completed the most important part of the day which was, naturally, to blow out the candle on a lovely cake, supplied from Paolo’s bar in Fornoli, celebrating his first birthday in his new centennial. (It would have been rather difficult to have found room for 101 candles on the cake!)

Sam now joins the Hall of fame where reside 101 Dalmatians, the nickname given to statistical documents, and, of course, a hundred and one other associations!

Complimenti and congratulations to Sam for beginning his new centennial on such an excellent, lucid and welcoming start!

This is my acrostic verse written in Italian for the occasion:

FRANKLYN SAMUEL STYCH

Fine studioso, notevole bibliotecario,

Rinomata persona, amico fedele.

Assoluto maestro della sua arte,

Non lasciando nulla di scoperto.

Cervello della sua arte,

Lambito oltre i suoi libri,

Ispirando i suoi studenti:

Nostro è questo tuo giorno

Sempiterno nel piego di un secolo;

Alta pietra miliare nella gerarchia delle muse

Meta di due mondi, due epoche,

Un significato arcano compreso –

Esplicazione, oltre il tempo comune

Lasciandosi alle spalle qualcosa che durerà

Speciale, unico –

Trascendente nella sua luce interiore.

You, te, Sam, celebriamo questo giorno di buon auspicio:

Cento e uno negli anni, eterno nella memoria:

Hurrah! Ecco a te, con salute e felicità da tutti noi.

PS If you don’t know why Sam is important, not just as a friend but also as a great scholar, do read my posts about him at:

https://longoio.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/boccaccios-man/

https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/whiskey-and-soda/

https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2014/08/21/sam-enjoys-his-whiskey/

https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2015/07/17/sam-is-ninety-nine/

https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2016/07/16/sams-one-hundredth-birthday-celebrations/

A Neglected Concert

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Francis

It needs an English school choir to show how superb choral singing standards can be realised. The Sennocke Consort’s recital at Bagni di Lucca’s Teatro Accademico, as part of their Tour of Italy Summer 2017, was abundant proof of this incontrovertible fact.

Beginning with the father of English church music, Thomas Tallis, the evening’s concert progressed through to the twentieth century, including pieces by Clarke, Nares and Sullivan.

Here is the programme:

An added bonus was Allegri’s ‘Miserere’ whose performance achieved sublimity, especially in those moments when the descant soars up to transcendental heights.

Particularly enjoyable was the arrangement of Gospel songs by the consort’s conductor Christopher Dyer.

The soloist in that truly immortal aria from Handel’s ‘Messiah’ ‘I know that my redeemer liveth’ will surely be on the way to becoming another Emma Kirkby.

Also very effective was the continually changing combination of singers for the evening’s programme and the already excellent conducting skills shown by the pupils themselves.

In the hackneyed phrase of school reports it was only the audience who ‘could do better’. There were fourteen on the theatre’s stage and there were the same number in the audience.

Publicity cannot be blamed. The event was clearly indicated on the comune’s web sites and also, of course, on my blog page at

https://longoio3.com/2017/07/05/sevenoaks-school-comes-to-bagni-di-lucca/

Perhaps more posters could have been placed on the town’s already overloaded bar doors but, frankly, the attendance for the concert was that word often used by certain inhabitants of Tunbridge Wells ‘disgusting’.

Christopher shrugged it off as saying that the concert at Bagni di Lucca could be regarded as a dress rehearsal for the following evening’s concert at Lucca.

Until more people attend these special chances to hear how a school choir can and should sing, choral standards in Italy will continue to remain well below Anglo-Saxon distinction.

Just to show you how good an English school choir can sound like here are a few excerpts from the concert:

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=W-iAJHO67n0

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=UIBSklZyKgU

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=dchoIHGo2gw

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=hpy1oRaOHtY

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=MtDUBswGiHc

I do hope that at Lucca, at least, the number of the audience exceeded the performers on stage…

A Folk Evening in Fornoli

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Francis

It’s now become a tradition. On the second Thursday of July there’s a summer event held in the forecourt of the attractive church at Fornoli, Bagni di Lucca, organised by Marco Nicoli and the Mammalucco cultural association.

Previous events have included choirs, songsters, poets and actors. This year we were privileged to have the cantori (singers) of Tereglio who combined forces with a group from Coreglia Antelminelli singing canzoni popolari which are not ‘pop’, rather folk songs.

Seated in the balmy summer evening air we listened to a variety of songs ranging from ‘stornelli’, to ‘valzer’ and ‘mazurka’.

After these lively renditions there was nothing better than to adjourn to the parish hall for a delicious rinfresco.

Thanks are also due to Fornoli’s parish priest Don Giuliano Ciapi who supplied the beautiful ambience of the church forecourt.

How are you spending your sunny evenings in this incredibly warm Italian summer? Fortunately this afternoon there was a violent tempest ‘a la Vivaldi’ and much needed water dropped down on land which was prone to those forest fires which have already devastated so many parts of Sicily and southern Italy.

There is nothing more delicious than to hear the rumble of thunder and resounding drops of rain in the heat of summer here! It’s the next best thing to talking a walk through the cooling woodland.

Peace Organ festival at Sant’Anna di Stazzema

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Francis

The ‘Organo Della Pace’ (Peace Organ) Festival at Sant’Anna di Stazzema reaches its eleventh year and, thanks to the collaboration between Italy and Germany, this year hosts international musicians. There are seven concerts, every Sunday from 16 July to 27 August and a conference. The festival, which is now one of the top quality musical events in Versilia, is a concrete expression of the capacity of music to foster dialogue, knowledge and collaboration between people.

During the festival there will be fundraising for the extension of the organ with a pedal sub bass register, which will be inaugurated in 2018.

At Sant’Anna di Stazzema, during the Nazi massacre that, on August 12, 1944, cost the lives of 560 people the church organ was destroyed by SS machine-gun fire. Between 2002 and 2007, the “An Organ for Sant’Anna” initiative, founded in Essen with the patronage of the Presidents of the Italian and German Republics, collected through 67 concerts funds for the reconstruction of the organ. The instrument was inaugurated in 2007 and since then, through the Italian-German Association “Friends of the Peace organ”, on summer Sundays, the small but charming church of Sant’Anna lives again thanks to the presence of internationally renowned musicians.

DANIELE BOCCACCIO CONCERT

Sunday, July 16 (6 pm – free admission)

Recital by Daniele Boccaccio (Lucca), organ

Organ Professor at the Conservatory of Alexandria

VICTOR CONTRERAS CONCERT

Sunday, July 23 (6 pm – free admission)

Recital by Victor Contreras (Mexico City), organ

President of the Accademia Organistas de México

“AD LIBITUM” DUO CONCERT

Sunday, July 30 (6 pm – free admission)

Recital by the “Ad libitum” duo (Pinerolo, Turin)

Elena Saccomandi, viola – Walter Gatti, organ

ENRICO VICCARDI CONCERT

Sunday, August 6 (6 pm – free admission)

Recital by Enrico Viccardi (Lodi), organ

Professor at the Conservatory of Como

TOMASZ ADAM NOWAK CONCERT

Sunday, August 13 (6 pm – free admission)

Recital by Tomasz Adam Nowak (Münster, Germany), organ

Professor at the Conservatory of Detmold (Germany)

FRANCESCO DI LERNIA CONCERT

Sunday 20 August (6 pm – free admission)

Recital by Francesco Di Lernia (Foggia), organ

Professor of Organ and Director of the Conservatory of Foggia

ELISABETH ZAWADKE CONCERT

Sunday, August 27 (6 pm – free admission)

Recital by Elisabeth Zawadke (Munich, Germany), organ

Professor at the Conservatory of Lucerne (Switzerland)

CELEBRATING THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE ORGAN

Sunday 16 July – 5 pm

Celebratory ceremony of the ten years of the Peace Corps

LUTHER AND THE REFORMATION’S FIVE HUNDRED YEARS

Sunday 30 July – 4 pm

Conference “Luther and 500 Years of Reformation”

Speakers: prof. Nino Campagna and Prof.ssa Concetta Giuffrè (Pescia)

Tibetan Festival in Tuscany

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Francis

Deep in the countryside south of Pisa at Pomaia is a little piece of Tibet. The Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa is a monastery, place of meditation, teaching institute, ritual centre – in short, somewhere to find oneself again and recover the original point of why we’re here. There’s an excellent web site in English at https://www.iltk.org/en/chi-siamo/

We’d been aware of the Tibetan centre for some time but it was only thanks to an invitation from a friend that we decided to join in the three-day festival celebrating the Dalai Lama’s birthday (he’s 82 this year).

Last Sunday we shared the atmosphere of peace and good-will which permeates the monastery.

There is a characteristic gateway leading to four stupas commemorating lamas who have taught or influenced the monastery.

There were stalls and massage using the famous singing bowls:

There was a photographic exhibition including pictures by famous Italian explorer and lover of Tibet, Fosco Maraini, (who, incidentally, is buried by his own choice at Alpe Sant’Antonio in the comune of Molazzana near us.)

There was the blessing of the animals. Among those who had their animals blessed we met family friend Piero Nissim and his daughters, great creators of music, poetry and theatre. Some brought their cats in a basket. My cat, Napoleon’s photo, however, was suitably blessed!

We made up for all the prayers we’d forgotten to recite after our miraculous escape from our car accident in May by turning round the prayer-wheels of peace:

The climax was the destruction of the great sand mandala which had been painstakingly built up in the previous weeks. The mandala is a mind liberating celestial city with four gates. Its eventual obliteration represents the transience of life on this planet and the fact that the celestial city is truly beyond the comprehension of anyone. The organiser of the extempore arts celebration (and international women’s day) gave a memorable course on making mandalas which I have described at

https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/cosmic-road-maps-at-the-casino/

Before we left the last day of the Tibetan celebrations we saw a harrowing film of how Tibetan culture was almost destroyed last century. We visited Tibet last year (see https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2016/12/01/heated-debates-at-sera-monastery-tibet/ etc.) and were glad to note that the Tibetan spirit can never be broken. The one positive thing about the Tibetan tragedy is that so many of this highest (in all sense of the word) of cultures has had to disperse into all parts of the world to preserve itself, and so many more people have become aware of its great truths.

We did miss the tenth anniversary of the extempore art event at Bagni di Lucca’s Villa Fiori. But Sandra has taken part in seven times and, indeed, we have produced a combined effort of her art and my poetry in the book available at https://www.unilibro.it/libro/pettitt-francis/septet/9788869700521

There is, however, an excellent report by my friend, Domenico Bertucelli a gifted writer, raconteur of local stories and photographer for you to view at

http://www.luccaindiretta.it/mediavalle-e-garfagnana/item/97848-bagni-di-lucca-i-vincitori-del-concorso-di-pittura-estemporanea-foto.html

And also at

http://www.luccaindiretta.it/mediavalle-e-garfagnana/item/97848-bagni-di-lucca-i-vincitori-del-concorso-di-pittura-estemporanea-foto.html

Moonlight Magic at the Villa Bonvisi-Webb

Posted on July 9, 2017 by Francis

Last night, in the parterre of the Villa Bonvisi-Webb, the same villa where Byron stayed when in Bagni di Lucca, an event took place which would have delighted the great romantic poet and debaucher. It was a ‘degustazione’, or tasting, of toscani – the Italian cigar which is still manufactured in two places, one of which is in the Lucchesia – and grappa, which is a spirit distillation of wine.

The evening opened with a fascinating introduction to the toscano and the grappa. Italy is the only country in the world which is famous for three products which alleviate the tedious moments of human existence: great food, great wine and great cigars. Cuba may be famous for its cigars but not its wine, and France lacks any cigar industry.

I could go on to say the cigar produces an alkaline rather than an acid smoke which is not meant to be inhaled like cigarettes, that it is pure tobacco without cancerogenous paper (cigarettes were first invented during the Crimean war when soldiers used the paper wrappings of their cartridges and filled them with tobacco), and that the savouring of a toscano is improved by keeping it in a humidor which preserves its original moisture, that it is not to be lit with standard cigarette lighter but with special long matches, that it is preferable not to cut it and that there are three separate phases to its enjoyment.

As I have already enough vices I kept but did not smoke the cigar offered, together with the long matches which were given to us. With the grappa, however, it was a different story. We were given the opportunity to savour four different varieties ranging from basic distilled grappa to a delicious one made from Chardonnay grapes. Grappa is truly the king of Italian spirits, the country’s equivalent of Scotch whiskey, and, as with whiskey, there are many different varieties based on the way the spirit nectar has been distilled and the years it has aged. Toscani cigars too, have an amazing 23 different varieties.

For me, however, the best experience was to be with excellent company in such a splendid full-moon lit ambience. It was a truly magical dusk of connoisseur tasting and amicable gatherings.

I give full marks to Valerio Ceccarelli who, yet again, has proved to be a most energetic impulse in restoring Bagni di Lucca’s visitor attractions, to Guido Bracci of Bagni’s Enoteca (wine shop), to the providers of the cigars and the grappa and to the rest of the team who turned the grounds of the wonderful villa into ‘some enchanted evening’.

Here is a small selection of photos from last night. As you can see, the rule of no under-eighteens to the event was waived in the case of dogs (and cats).

Ruby / Rubino anniversary / anniversario

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Francis

Thanks – Grazie!

A thousand thanks for your company, for your kind presents and for your continued friendship on this our ruby wedding anniversary. We sincerely appreciated your companionship very much indeed and truly hope that we will continue to enjoy your invaluable friendship for many more years to come.

Mille grazie per la vostra compagnia, per I vostri gentilissimi pensieri e per la vostra continuata amicizia in questo, l’anniversario dei nostri quarant’anni di matrimonio rubino. Apprezziamo sinceramente la vostra amicizia e speriamo che la goderemo per molti altri anni. Un grande ringraziamento e un forte abbraccio.

Francis e Sandra