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Monthly meetings are held in the Mayor’s Parlour in the Guildhall in Bath
Next meetings:
Friday 3 Feb 2 pm
Friday 3 Mar 2 pm
Friday 7 Apr 2 pm
Friday 5 May 2 pm
To join, contact:
Hilary Elms, Secretary BBTA
208, Old Frome Rd
BATH BA2 5RH
01225 837790
h.elms412@btinternet.com
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Quick Links
www.bath-braunschweigtwinningassociation.co.uk
www.mayorofbath.co.uk
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Visit
A chance to visit Braunschweig in June 2017
Seven BBTA members met Paul Kavanagh President of the DEG and his colleague Jens Mueller on 12 Dec. Huw Morgan, Chairman of the Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society was also there. BODS (20 members) are visiting Braunschweig 6 to 11 June 2017.They are going by coach and Paul has hired a number of 4 bedroom flats at a cheap rate for them in Braunschweig for that period. The coach seats 29 so there are 9 cheap seats if any members would like to go!
Anyone interested should contact Paul (info@deg-bs.de) soon about the accommodation and Huw (huw@morgan-bath.co.uk) about seats on the coach.
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On Wings of Song
On Wednesday 11 January Antje Siefert mezzosoprano, accompanied by Sybille Hempel-Abromeit on the piano gave a superb performance at the Michael Tippett Centre, Bath Spa University.
The programme was an exciting mix of classical German songs on poems by Heine and contemporary works by Britten, Tippett and George Odam, whose first ever performance of Year Songs was enthusiastically received by the audience. George Odam, formerly Professor of Music at Bath Spa University was instrumental in the creation of the Michael Tippett Centre which is Bath’s only purpose built concert hall.
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Our Book from Braunschweig
Bath Library recently received “Plötzlich Shakespeare” (published in 2010) by the best-selling author David Safier. This is an unusual novel, perhaps reflecting the author’s interest in reincarnation, the theme of a previous novel.
The central figure, Rosa, is the first-person narrator (one thinks of Bridget Jones) who is transported from present day Wuppertal to the London of 1594 (the probably inaccurate date is taken from the blurb) and finds herself in the body of no less a person than Shakespeare, who also speaks in the first person. Some confusion for the reader is avoided by means of differing fonts, yet the situation gives rise to many other confusing incidents. In 1594 Rosa encounters historical personages as well as characters and events from Shakespeare’s plays, helps him to rewrite Sonnet 18 and Hamlet’s most famous soliloquy, for which the bard was apparently considering “Wein oder nicht Wein” and “Schwein oder nicht Schwein”.
The author plays fast and loose with historical accuracy, and the resulting work is reminiscent of an episode of “Blackadder”, with a touch of James Bond. It is however also a quest to find the answer to the age-old question “What is love?” If the reader is willing to suspend disbelief he (or she) may find the resolution entertaining.
Judy Spencer
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Letter from Braunschweig
The DEG would like to wish you all a wonderful and (what seems most important these days) peaceful 2017, including good health and luck. We are looking forward to numerous visitors from Bath this spring/summer and are happy to welcome the Bath Bridge Club, members of the Bath Opera and Drama Society as well as the Bath College and the BBTA. These connections and exchanges are a great occasion to enhance the friendship and twinning between our two cities.
The renowned Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum (one of Europe’s oldest museums of art and picture gallery of Old Masters) has been reopened after improvements, renovations and extensions which lasted seven years. People in Braunschweig are very happy to have their popular museum back. On that occasion even a special stamp has been issued showing Jan Vermeer’s “Mädchen mit dem Weinglas” which is a popular attraction in the museum.
Hope to see many of you soon.
Katrin Landsmann (member of the DEG)
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BODS visit to Braunschweig
Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society are planning a musical trip to Braunschweig from Tuesday 6th to Saturday 10th June 2017.
This will be a real challenge, as BODS is also producing Sweet Charity at the Theatre Royal Bath, in May 2017. We are hoping to take a concert group 20 strong to Germany, to perform 3 concerts on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings. I believe three very different venues have been selected for us to perform a selection of songs, some of which will come from the world of musical theatre.
This is BODS’ first visit to Braunschweig and we are all very excited.
Along with singing for our supper, I gather a couple of trips are being organised by our hosts. There is talk of a visit to Volkswagen in nearby Wlolfsburg, a trip up the highest mountain in the area and a tea party on Saturday. I am assured that we will also have the opportunity to explore the beautiful city of Braunschweig.
I am confident that this trip will bring the peoples of our two extraordinary cities even closer and foster life long friendships.
Huw Morgan
Chairman BODS
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We were saddened to hear of the death of Don Grimes, a member of the BBTA committee, who passed away on 24 November 2016.
Don & other Petanque players did much to strengthen our ties with the DEG and was instrumental in ensuring that the Twinning Competition was well organised. He organized several Annual Dinners for the BBTA and represented the City of Bath Petanque Club on our committee. He will be sadly missed.
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Did you know?
The Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s new landmark
opened recently on 11 January with a concert that included Beethoven and Britten. Located in the Hafen City area of Hamburg on the River Elbe, it is a striking wavy glass construction with an old warehouse as its base. As one of the largest and most acoustically advanced concert halls in the world it is a truly international endeavour; the architects were Swiss while the auditorium was designed by a Japanese acoustician. Grossly overbudget and behind schedule it was nicknamed the Elfie by the local population. However the success of the opening concert bodes well for the future of this audacious project.
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Individual Exchange visits:
are you interested in visiting Braunschweig?
perhaps staying with a family in Braunschweig?
and maybe inviting them to stay with you in Bath?
Contact Barbara Heck at the DEG (see link)
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Stammtisch
If you would like to practise your German in a friendly informal atmosphere over ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ come to the Stammtisch – every Wednesday throughout the year between midday and 1:00pm, in the upstairs room at Cafe Retro, 18 York Street, Bath (by Bog Island).
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