The 2021 POLYFOLIES

The 2021 Polyfolies !

The third edition of our festival carried so much magic and such deep, sweet emotion ! In spite of Covid restrictions and a violent storm, the audience had the pleasure of experiencing a magnificent festival. Yet another superb presentation of the recorder as a virtuoso among the other instruments of Early Music, and a beautiful window on this accumulated knowledge ! This edition made possible the purchase of an instrument, the donation of a tenor recorder to a music school and the support of a young violinist in difficulty.

The audience was enthralled, and RECORDARA delighted to see its project progressing, slowly but surely. We are so touched by the amazing joy that “The Polyfolies of the Recorder and its Universe” brings to its audience. An audience that is beginning to catch the heart of this very unique festival – resolutely committed to solidarity – and to understand the role this event plays in the national and international cultural landscape.

RECORDARA is still savouring the incredible journeys embarked upon through the very personal and generous programmes of this third edition. The artists gifted us their music like a marvellous burst of life, plunging us all into our inner song and setting us joyfully in motion. Bravo, and many thanks to all the musicians! Thank you for your support and friendship.

It was a great honour and pleasure to meet Han TOL (recognised and respected as a master the world over, and co-founder of the legendary Flanders Recorders Quartet). We were privileged to spend three days with this musician of great sensitivity, attending his master class, which was so enriching for all. We savoured his incredible musicality, which is so precise, brilliant and glorious!

Master-classe

Full of curiosity and admiration, the general public came to see the artistic craftspeople and independent entrepreneurs who devote a lifetime of work and study to providing musicians throughout the world with copies of excellent historical instruments. Many thanks to all these Early Music instrument makers (dulcimer, psalterion, tympanon, recorder, viola da gamba, harpsichord, violin, bow, traverso, lute, hurdy-gurdy, nyckelharpa, vièle, oboe, cornetto, mandoline, guitar, theorbo, …), to all the exhibitors for their presence and support despite adverse circumstances ! The French Lute Society was present with a wonderfully diverse range of instruments on display, and the concertino of its president, Pascale Boquet, delighted the whole audience. Well done! Our heartfelt thanks go to Arnaud Pumir, who makes his harpsichords available to the festival, and to his wonderful accompanist, Sylvie Demay, such a generous artist and outstanding concertino leader.

“Many small streams make big rivers!” RECORDARA‘s gratitude also goes to the public and to all the private donors (including three instrument makers!) who follow us with an open-mindedness, benevolence, trust and generosity that touch us deeply.

Hartelijk dank! This year the festival welcomed several recorder players from the class of Marieke Rigterink, a former student of the great recorder player, Han TOL. Coming from the Vendôme music school and accompanied by their charming, radiant teacher for whom caring for others is a true source of inner joy, they shared this edition with an enthusiasm, sensitivity, delicacy, spontaneity, curiosity, sincerity, kindness and gratitude that deeply touched RECORDARA, the Camerata Chiara, listeners and Han TOL.

I invite you to read their lovely Newsletter which can be found on our website:

Media review

On a trip to Brussels at the end of October, I stopped off in Lille. While I was looking for a place to have lunch, a person suddenly appeared out of nowhere and called out to me, “Les Polyfolies !”. With a bright smile, Sandrine told me how happy she was to have attended the festival and said she would see me again at the fourth edition. “In the meantime, if I don’t see you again in Lille, I’ll see you at the 4th edition of the RECORDARA festival”, she said joyfully. Many thanks to this incredible audience who often travel far to experience “The Polyfolies of the Recorder and its Universe”!

I suggest that you visit the website to read the very touching testimony of a listener from the South-West of France:

Media review

“Knowledge is the only thing that grows when you share it”. RECORDARA would like to thank the Principal of Saint-Stanislas, Mr Thierry Bougère, as well as the associations, La Pastorale, the Communication Department, the Physical Education and Sports teachers, the Music teacher, the pupils, the parents and all the staff of this prestigious establishment in Nantes, for their faithful, fraternal and generous welcome. The international dimension of Saint-Stanislas lends itself perfectly to the openness that RECORDARA brings to this festival, with a common desire to transmit excellence in a spirit of benevolence and openness to others. With its long history as the oldest Catholic educational establishment in the West of France, and despite a complicated context for all, and painful events which have affected the school, Saint-Stanislas continues to stand by RECORDARA to support a vital project for musicians in need and for the passing on of an exceptional cultural heritage! Thank you for your trust!

The association also wishes to thank the Fondation Gisèle Tissier-Grandpierre-Institut de France for its remarkable support. The providential help of such a prestigious and enlightened patron is a testimony to the quality of RECORDARA‘s project and reinforces the meaning of its mission.

Because “from one hand comes no sound” RECORDARA would like to salute the formidable and benevolent support of its corporate patrons, because the International Early Music Festival “The Polyfolies of the Recorder and its Universe” owes its longevity to them. Their support is all the more extraordinary as it comes at a time when a terrible storm has hit businesses. Thank you for your commitment!

The availability, advice and generous commitment of the Cabinet FRANCÔDIT (Eric Franco and his team) have once again enabled us to take the right way forward.

The Cabinet MMA Jouët et Florin, generous and faithful patrons of the festival, gave us the pleasant surprise of attending a concert at “The Polyfolies of the Recorder and its Universe”. The show worked its magic on them – they were dazzled by the talented performances and lives of the musicians, which touched them deeply and inspired them to experience the next edition.

The magnificently delicious tins of biscuits from Clémentine L’épicerie delighted all the musicians! Exhibitors were thrilled by the delicious biscuits of La Bretagne Gourmande Biscuiterie Kerlann Nantes and refreshed by the Saint-Fernan organic apple juice enhanced with an infusion of poppy petals. The legendary pâté from the Hénaff company brought back so many good memories for some and whetted the curiosity of others, who had come from afar. Bravo and thank you to all the companies courageously supporting RECORDARA !

“The value of an image is measured by the extent of its imaginary aura.” A big thank you to Fabien Gonzalez and the whole TELENANTES team for taking the time to announce the RECORDARA event!

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Thank you to all the volunteers for their availability, generosity and profound kindness: the hosts, the École Nantaise de Commerce (ENC-ENSEC-ENCIA) and their students, the senior students and the Art and Heritage class of Saint-Stanislas, the sound engineer, the photographers, the harpsichord maker, the concertino host, the musician who lent us her spinet, musicians, friends and family… Many thanks to Eric, Marine, Arnaud, Sylvie, Françoise, Christèle, Matthieu, Michèle, Estelle, Stéphanie, Anne-Marie, Christian, Véronique, Christophe, Catherine, Estelle, Laurent, Sylvie, Albert, Grégoire,Véronique, Martin, Mathilde, Joachim, Nicolas, Hélène, Patricia, Audren, Corinne, Annie, Léa, Alizé, Camille, Valentine, Inès, Mayine, Jeanne, Marie-Christine, Catherine, François, Françoise, Pia, Marie-Béatrice, Isabelle, Bernard, Steven, Maxime, Stéphane, Françoise, Patrick, César, Sandra, Magali, Servane, Pierre, Mona-Lisa, Méline, Cloé, Léa, Alexis, Landry, Rubby, Stephan, Clémentine, Chloé, Nell, Tom, Léa, Julie, Manon, Luna, Camille, Clara, Margot, Morgane, Mathieu, Doriane, Lisa, Marion, Judith, Aglaé, Rienzo, Louna, Thomas et Noémie, Paul, Jeanne, Lucie, Céleste, Chloé, Thomas, Yness, Océane, Roméo, Malou, Clara, Emile, Margaux, Lison, Sybil, Bastien, louise, Laureline, Cloé, Lucas, Constance, Laura, Juliette, Emeline, Catherine et Sylvie !

Throughout the festival, Sylvie Milandou’s floral art has enchanted the audience by its beauty and the musicians thanks to the scents that emanated from it, the oasis of well-being offered by osteopath, Marine Barraud, allowed musicians, volunteers and instrument makers to free their bodies of tension and fatigue. Marine, an amateur recorder player, works in two osteopathic clinics in Nantes.

“Creativity is intelligence having fun”. Congratulations to Mona-Lisa, Cloé, Léa and Méline, students at ENC (ENACOM – ENSEC – ENCIA) for the superb logo! Congratulations to Louise, Inès, Nolwenn, Anaël and Léna for the 2021 poster! Many thanks to Sandra Berger for this wonderful partnership and creative, generous support !

Cooking is an art form, a real gift we were delighted to share. Thank you to the festival’s catering chef, Florian Gaudin and his team, who accompanied us with great kindness, true availability and constant concern for the respect of sanitary regulations.

“Death associated with water is more dream-like than death associated with earth: the pain of water is infinite.” This edition of our festival was also an opportunity to turn our thoughts toward those listeners, musicians, instrument makers, friends and acquaintances who have passed away. Living in the hearts of those who love them, they encourage us to continue on our way, not forgetting those who are still suffering in their lives or health.

As music is a marvellous call to life, a new edition full of beautiful surprises awaits you from September 30th to October 2nd, 2022 at the International Early Music Festival “The Polyfolies of the Recorder and its Universe”.

The association is still looking for support to keep this beautiful project alive as RECORDARA does not receive any government funding.

Here are the reasons why your support and that of all the people you can mobilise is essential to the realisation of the International Early Music Festival “The Polyfolies of the Recorder and its Universe”:

Support us

This event contributes to a public health, a social and sharing economy.
It contributes to the cultural and educational dynamism of our country, our region and the attractiveness of local activities.
It helps to maintain live music. In 2020, the International Salon of Early Music ‘The Polyfolies of the recorder and its Universe’ was the only international festival of Early Music to have taken place physically ! In 2021, despite the health crisis and a violent storm, the third edition took place successfully.
The RECORDARA association (governed by the law of 1901) that organizes this festival does not receive any financial aid from the state. All its members are volunteers.
It is the only French salon/festival (concerts, master classes, lectures, workshops, exhibition/sale of instruments) specialising in Early Music with an international approach and where the other instruments demonstrate the value of the recorder in a concert. It is a wonderful opportunity to free this magnificent instrument from the degrading image it has endured for so many years, and to bring virtuoso recorder players out of the dark, dusty closet to which inadequate teaching, prejudice and anathemas have unjustly confined them.
It stands out as truly different thanks to a focus on helping others since all of its profits contribute to a genuine act of charity. This lies at the heart of its commitment to talented musicians in need. In the last three editions we were able to help a young vocalist and alto player as well as buying two recorders (from instrument makers that participated in the salon) that can be lent out. The association was very happy to be able to provide 10 records of Early Music to a small music school (these were a gift to RECORDARA from the cultural space of E Leclerc Atlantis Le Centre), to invite people who would never have dared or even thought of coming to an Early Music festival, to help a violin player and to give a music school a recorder as a present.
Sharing is the defining value of this association, it contributes to maintaining a wonderful musical heritage. It takes many years to acquire the knowledge required to become a Master and the young musicians will be responsible for sharing this with future generations. Machines cannot replace this art that lies at the borders of our human intelligence and sensitivity. To preserve such a rich and erudite musical heritage it is essential to have knowledgeable and talented instrumentalists.
France has the privilege of being a great country of musical learning. It is vital to promote the value of this enriching international exchange.

Giving the younger generations and a wider audience the opportunity to drink from the source of Early Music – the mother of all music – is necessary to a proper understanding of musical expression. Ancient music has sound structures (so much more complex than language!) that place many demands on the cognitive processes used in information processing. Its temporal aspects – measured in milliseconds – lead to true listening, guaranteeing good interaction. What’s more, it bears witness to eight of the eleven musical eras that make up the History of Music! To pay tribute to this vast musical domain and allow its talented servants to pass on this exceptional heritage to the younger generations is an obvious choice, honour and duty for RECORDARA.

It allows outstanding musicians to restore to the public in a living and respectful way the music which is at the root of all others; to invite them to understand and grasp this music which surpasses beauty; to feel how it transcends us, troubles us, disturbs and questions us through the incredible diversity of its language; growing us, transforming us and leading us to the inexpressible. All these sublime sound waves and structures, brought to us by masters in the field, impel us, regenerate us, give us breath, restore our identity and unite us.

By encouraging virtuoso performance, this festival assists specialists such as instrument makers, performers and researchers, and attempts to remedy the decline of recorder and Early Music classes in conservatories and music schools and attempts to preserve teaching posts.

It promotes the initiatives, creativity and achievements of young virtuoso musicians and ensembles in our country and elsewhere. It also supports the projects of passionate amateurs.
Involving internationally known artists in a variety of concerts with young groups helps to create an intergenerational bridge which the association values so much.
The participation of Early Music instrument makers – true artisans of fine craftmanship – provides support and essential insight into the great traditions of instrument making. This unique event allows the general public to meet passionate men and women, independent entrepreneurs, who devote a lifetime of study and work to providing musicians around the world with copies of excellent historical instruments. RECORDARA takes this opportunity to build up consorts of instruments, the most appropriate tools for performing music from each period. In this way, the association will be able to offer these young artists in need the possibility of organising concerts in the spirit of the historical performance treatises they are studying.

The involvement of pupils and students enables them to volunteer to help to preserve a magnificent musical heritage, to refine their sensitivity to the world of live music, to participate in a truly international environment where several languages are spoken, to deal with communicating in different occasions, to understand different jobs and to live an experience which will develop them, to enable them to expand their ability to work in a team, their open-mindedness, their reactivity, their sense of listening and adaptation, to expose them to different professions and experiences that will allow them to develop. It is an opportune way of creating a network of relationships that can prove invaluable later on, both personally and professionally.

The health crisis we are experiencing has plunged young virtuoso musicians, who do not benefit from government subsidies, into such a difficult situation that we cannot decently abandon them.

Through the International Early Music Festival “The Polyfolies of the Recorder and its Universe”, the business world expresses its dynamism, emotion, creativity, solidarity, sensitivity and commitment to this art, and its attachment to the servants of a musical era which is the foundation of music and an asset for public health and peace. The festival owes its longevity to business leaders!

In 2021, the support of such a prestigious and enlightened patron as the Fondation Gisèle Tissier-Grandpierre-Institut de France is a testimony to the quality of RECORDARA‘s project and reinforces the meaning of its mission.

Make a freewill donation towards a valuable project:

by credit card on the secure website with immediate tax receipt :

Support Us !

by cheque made out to RECORDARA and posted to: RECORDARA – 25 Route de Roche Maurice – 44100 Nantes.
by bank transfer

This financial support entitles you to:

for individuals – a 66% income tax reduction of up to 20% of taxable income (Art. 200 of the CGI).
for companies – a 60% tax reduction of up to €20,000 or 0.5% of turnover (Art. 238 b of the CGI).

RECORDARA is looking forward to welcoming you in Saint Stanislas, in Nantes, from September 30th to October 2nd, 2022, to enjoy the fourth edition of this young and radiant Festival!

We thank you heartedly for sharing the dates of the next Festival with your family, friends, acquaintances and also with the firms and the foundations you maintain a solid relationship with.

The performing arts are the ideal antidote to the climate of anxiety and gloom we are being faced with.

Art is at the core of human expression, thanks to which we are so closely connected to one another.

All the best.

Catherine Franco