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More than just a castle - Fort Belan

12:22pm on 17th July 2009

We recently travelled across the country from Newcastle, where we were teaching students as part of the Associated Board's Music Medals Scheme, to North Wales to play a concert in a castle. I, for one, had no idea what was in store! Fort Belan is a grade I listed, 18th century fort, situated on the tip of a peninsula that overlooks Caenarfon, Anglesea and Snowdonia. Jean and John Blundell are an amazing couple who are behind the renovation of the fort, and all that takes place there. We drew up to the fort at midnight and were immediately confronted with brightly coloured wheelbarrows, ingeniously supplied to transport our luggage into the fort! The next day we awoke to find ourselves surrounded by the most breathtaking scenery. We were given a very delicious breakfast (the first of many culinary wonders), and then had the rest of the day to rehearse, explore and play table tennis! A select group of musicians from all over the country make a yearly pilgrimage to Fort Belan, to play chamber music with one another for a week in this unique, isolated place. We were invited to join them at the end of their course to give a recital. We started with 6 of Bach's fugues from his 'Art of Fugue'. Ben introduced the Bach and poignantly commented on the music having an overwhelming sense of being 'greater than us all'. The beautiful concert room, brimming with musicians and music enthusiasts, was the perfect place for our first ever performance of these fugues. Next we played Haydn's 76 no. 5, a special piece to us for many reasons, one being that it was the first quartet that we ever learned! And finally, after interval drinks in the courtyard under the hazy evening sun, we played Beethoven's Opus 127. After the concert we dined on more incredible food, and were then subsequently whisked into the games room to cheer on the table tennis final - the culmination of a week of fiercely competitive games. After a tense and close match, Michael was declared champion and our day was complete. Thank you to all of you at the fort for making us feel so welcome! www.fortbelan.co.uk