Dear member
After a short break in February, the diary of events is picking up again, with a couple of “free entry†events in March, plans for a weekend visit in April and dates are now confirmed for the AGM (22nd May) and the Garden Party at the Embassy (31st May). These are different from the dates initially penciled in, and the Fingask Follies event is now rolled into the Garden Party, so please do update your diary.
Add to that the regular Monthly Drinks and there is plenty to choose from.
Wed 7th March 19:00 – Monthly Drinks
Come and join us from 7pm to meet up for an informal evening. Â All Oxford and Cambridge Alumni and their friends are warmly welcome. 
Just mention “Oxbridge” at the bar for a discounted price on the pint of beer. Typical pub food and soft drinks also available.
Murphy’s House – 10 rue de la Chaussée d’Antin, 75009 Paris.  Metro Opéra – RER Auber – vélib: station 2015 rue Louis le Grand.
Sun 18th March 16:00 – Wells Consort – Concert
Tallis, Sheppard, Gesualdo, Purcell, Stainer : Four centuries of music for the Passion in England and Italy.
Eglise Notre Dame du Saint Sacrement, 68bis rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris (Métro St Sébastien-Froissart (line 8) or Saint Paul (line 1).Entrance free, with a collection after the concert.
Weds 21st March 13:00 – Guided visit of Christie’s Auction Rooms and Current Exhibitions
We have been invited to a guided tour of Christie’s at 9 avenue Matignon (including the 8 highlights of the legendary Rockefeller collection) at 1pm on Wednesday 21st March. Entrance is free, but numbers are limited to 20-25 in total so if you would like to take part, please contact admin@camsocparis.org. Registrations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sat 24th March 17:00 – The Cancer Research Boat Races
We will be goading our Oxford chums along, cheering the Light Blues as they pull, hopefully, to victory on Saturday 24th March. Come along to the Bowler, rue d’Artois, Paris 8e where we will gather from 5pm to watch both the Women’s and Men’s races. The Women’s Race starts at 17:31 Paris time, and the Men’s Race is at 18:31. Food will also be available afterwards for those who would like to stay on. There is no need to book, just come along and cheer…
As an alternative, if you live in the Saint-Germain-en-Laye area, there will be a gathering at the Bitter End, 20 rue Saint-Pierre, also from 5pm, for a few Happy Hour beers then maybe an early curry in the next-door Indian. If you would like to join in, contact Peter Salinson on peter.salinson@wanadoo.fr.
Sat 24th March 19:30 – St Matthew’s Passion at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées
After the Boat Race, why not take in JS Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion. Our members are offered a 30% discount on normal tariffs – you should enter the reduction code GBPASTMATT2403 when making your booking. The performers are all British:
Sarah Tynan soprano
Claudia Huckle contralto
Mark Padmore ténor (L’Evangéliste)
Roderick Williams baryton (Le Christ)
Jessica Cale soprano
Eleanor Minney mezzo-soprano
Hugo Hymas ténor
Matthew Brook baryton-basse
Mark Padmore direction
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Choir of the Age of Enlightenment
Mon 26th March 18:30 – Embassy Alumni Groups Mixer
The Embassy is organising an Alumni Groups Mixer on their terrace on Monday 26th March. The bar will be open from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
As numbers allocated to each group are very limited, the places allocated to our Society will be allocated on a strict first-come, first-served basis and later applications will be put on a waiting list in case the Embassy is able to increase our allocation nearer the date. If you would like to come along, please send an email to admin@camsocparis.org as soon as possible. You will get an acknowledgement to confirm whether you have one of the available places or are on the waiting list.
Wed 4th April 19:00 – Monthly Drinks
Come and join us from 7pm to meet up for an informal evening. Â All Oxford and Cambridge Alumni and their friends are warmly welcome.
Just mention “Oxbridge” at the bar for a discounted price on the pint of beer. Typical pub food and soft drinks also available.
Murphy’s House – 10 rue de la Chaussée d’Antin, 75009 Paris.  Metro Opéra – RER Auber – vélib: station 2015 rue Louis le Grand.
Tue 17th April 20:00 – The Philarmonia Orchestra at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées
The Philarmonia Orchestra is resident at the South Bank Centre, London and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. They are perfoming:
Beethoven Symphonie n° 2
Mahler Symphonie n° 1 « Titan »
Our members are offered a 30% discount on normal tariffs – you should enter the reduction code PHIORCH1704 when making your booking.
Sat 28th and Sun 29th April – Weekend visit to the “Forges de Buffonâ€
Peter Salinson has put together a visit programme for the last weekend in April, around a visit to the “Forges de Buffon†museum in Buffon near Montbard in Chablis country.
About a two hour drive out of Paris down the A6, you will arrive in Buffon village just after lunch – which you can take on your way down or on arrival in Buffon – for a tour booked at 2:30pm of the museum which represents an 18th Century iron works complex, which employed 500 at its peak. Between the museum visit and dinner it will be possible to visit Monbard, or the castle ruins (and cheese) of Epoisses or the splendid restored medieval chateau of Ancy-le-Franc. Dinner and accommodation are at “Les Maronniers†.
On Sunday, you are free to go sightseeing south to nearby Alesia (Vercingetorix museum), Abbaye de Fontenay (outstanding cistercian domaine) or even Vezelay. Alternatively, North to Chablis (busy busy Sunday market), Auxerre, or even golf at Tanlay. All these places are fairly near to the A6 autoroute on the way home. Each participant will pay their own way, with costs including €8 for the Forges de Buffon, €20-€30 in the restaurant and €70 plus breakfast for the hotel. A full programme will be developed once those members interested have signed up. Please contact Peter on peter.salinson@wanadoo.fr to be added to the list.
Tue 22nd May 18:30 – Annual General Meeting followed by Trevor Brown Bursary student presentations
The Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 22nd May. The venue, in Central Paris, will be confirmed in due course.
After the AGM, we are delighted that four of the five students who benefited from the Trevor Brown Bursary in 2017 will come to give us a presentation of their project work. Not only will this give us insight into their fields of interest, it will also demonstrate the value generated by our Bursary programme. For those who wish to know more about the Trevor Brown Bursary, a brief description is attached.
Thur 31st May – Annual Garden Party at the British Ambassador’s Residence
We are delighted to announce that the Ambassador has again agreed to open his Residence to host the 2018 Garden Party, which will take place in the evening of Thursday 31st May.
This year, it is Cambridge’s turn to organise the event and we have decided to include the Fingask Follies musical review  as its high point. There are still a few details to be sorted out, but expect invitations to be sent out early in April.
Tony Banton
Hon. Secretary
06 25 19 35 31