Day One: Getting Started...
The first day, I started right on time. It was the Friday after Ascension Day and I was lucky that the company I an working with traditionally closes down the day after Ascension Day. Spared me some administration for requesting a day off.
I was lucky that my Love drove me to Enschede, so about a quarter to ten I was strolling with guitar and bag through the Brinkgaarden (one of the alleys leading towards the centre of town), bound for Theatre Concordia. All in good time for the first workshop.
Things started with a warm welcome by Sanna van Elst, distribution of the programme and handing out the passes, the key to all recitals during the weekend. At the same time the many volunteers got their last briefing, all these enthusiastic people who would provide a very important contribution to the festival with their effort.
In the mean time other volunteers under direction of Paul Driessen were building the open stage in the beanery Eetcafé SamSam which forms the front section of Theatre Concordia. The organisation had accounted for a noisy audience (makes sense in a place to eat) and provided for directional microphones (which were excellent) and amplification, all to prevent that the relatively soft sound of the guitars would not drown in the buzz.
I got in quite early, so I had time to observe the arrival of the participants while drinking a nice coffee. Apparently my observation implied some kind of invitation, because soon I got into conversation with Jolanda, the guitar laureate to be in the highest amateur category. We hung a bit around together during the festival and had lots of fun with the workshops, master classes recitals and the preparation for her major contest performance piece Milonga del Angel.