CLIMBING INSIDE A SONG, or entering the hallowed halls of a note, or finding your way through the lovely labyrinth that is a lilting turn of melody, can be easily done anywhere, as long as you have headphones and a device that holds your music. Slip in your ear buds, hit "play" on a beloved sonata, and suddenly you're off and into a very different world. But what if your surroundings, the actual physical space you occupied, matched that rich and rewarding music in beauty, inspiration, history, and charm? We can't always make that happen, but sometimes special events come around that pair perfect places with perfect music, played and enjoyed live. One such perfect place is Carmel and its enchanting environs, and it is hard to quibble with that label, for its picturesque cottages, its soft sands, its soft hills, and its outwardly displayed commitment to the arts all make it a divine destination. And upping its already high divinity each summer is the...
CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL, which shall again pick up the violins, and pluck the cellos, from July 14 through July 28, 2018. Billed as "the oldest music festival in California," Carmel Bach Festival includes concerts galore and note-filled fantasies and ear-pleasing presentations, as you might expect, but also "educational activities, talks," and a host of other to-dos. Are there free open rehearsals, in addition to ticketed shows? There are, so peruse the schedule now and see what fits your interests as a Bach buff. Bach and the Violin, Bach Cantatas, Lute Songs, All Bach Organ Recital, When in Rome, and A Night at the Opera are some of the intriguing events dotting the full-to-bursting calendar, but there's even more to consider.
THE CHANCE... to bask in Bach while soaking in that Carmel-style charm? It's no dream. It is about to take place again, with joy and timeless music, in one of our state's most timeless towns.
