It’s December 20th, the city of Carpì is
glimmering of immense gifts hung in the streets, innumerable
Santa Claus invite you to spend money and showcases decorated
that attract looks and clients; a festive atmosphere, certain,
pregnant of excellent Christmas, but very distant from the
true meaning of Christmas and from that cave from which everything
was born.
It’s 8.30 pm and near the splendid carpigian Cathedral
by now is assembling a thick and various public: from the furred
lady to the girl with the torn jeans, from the mother that
runs after her children to the elegant gentleman with the cigar.
Entered in the Church, we are immediatly welcomed by an atmosphere
very different of the one outside : there is concentration,
prayer, but also exultation and hilarity; next to the altar
not a man that preaches, but a man who prays singing, just
as made St. Francis.
Here that has begun the great show of Angelo Branduardi.
The singer has alternated the songs of his album dedicated
to St. Francis: L’Infinitamente piccolo with others
of his repertoire. Marvelous his words to introduce the song "La
donna della sera"; this song (for the one who didn't
know it) speaks of the conjugal love, of the love and of
the affection that ties two people when the fire of the passion
dies; the text is incredibly pure despite many indications
to the physicalness and the corporeity that changes with
the time. Angelo Branduardi has affirmed to have been longly
undecided whether to introduce that song in the programmation,
considering that the concert was developed in the church,
then has reached the conclusion (correct for me) that there
is no best place to glorify the matrimonial love if not in
the church.
The minstrel has performed then different songs from the “Infinitamente
piccolo”, music inspired by the life of St. Francis of
Assisi on texts drawn by the Franciscan Sources.
Accompanied by his violin, the present people have been conducted
on the ways of the pilgrimage, have met with Francis the wolf
of Gubbio, have prayed in the swamps in Venice with the brother
and have cried for his death that Saturday after the Vespers,
and they have surely gone out of the church richer than when
they have entered.
In the name of all those people that, as I, have had the fortune
to participate in this event, I want to thank Angel Branduardi,
singer and man, for what has given us.
© Matilde
Rossi Ercolani in Terranova for ABcom
