Nicola Lisle previews the artists and performers from the cities of Oxford and Grenoble who will make up the Alps and Spires festival

Music, dance, literature, art, photography and food are all coming together in a cultural whirlpool later this month as Oxford and the French Alps-side town of Grenoble celebrate the 25th anniversary of their twinning.

Alps and Spires will see artists and performers from both cities join together for a series of concerts and exhibitions, many of them free, ending with a huge musical extravaganza at the Town Hall to bring the celebrations to a magnificent finale.

“We wanted to raise the profile of Grenoble, and get more of the city involved,” explains Mel Houldershaw, the current chair of the Oxford-Grenoble Association. “We’ve got three or four bands coming over from Grenoble, two of which haven’t been before, so that’s lovely.

“We’ve also got quite a few local groups involved, including three children’s choirs. We’ve commissioned four songs, two about Oxford and two about Grenoble, and we’re going over to Grenoble to film a children’s choir singing them. Then we’ll show them as a film here in Oxford with the three children’s choirs.”

It was in 1988 when Oxford city councillor Bob Price found himself sitting next to Monique Sacchi-Meunier from Grenoble City Council at an official function in Sweden, and the idea of establishing a formal link between the two cities was born.

Just under a year later, on April 27 1989, a ‘Friendship Agreement’ was signed by Alain Carignon, Mayor of Grenoble, and Oxford’s Mayor Queenie Whorley, with the aim of promoting academic, scientific, research, civic and cultural exchanges between Oxford and Grenoble.

Since then, perhaps one of the most successful cultural links has been forged by the East Oxford Community Choir, which Mel founded during the 1990s, and Grenoble’s Ensemble Vocale Interlude. Mel said: “They were looking for a choir to twin with, and I’m always up for these things, so that’s how we started.

“It’s fantastic — I could live in Greno-ble now. I have very good friends there. You go over there and stay in people’s houses and you learn a bit about their lives, and culturally it’s very rich. It has definitely added something to my life.”

East Oxford Community Choir and Ensemble Vocale Interlude will come together during the 25th anniversary celebrations for Elgar: The Music Makers and Cello Concerto, which offers a reflection on Anglo-French relations in the lead-up to the First World War centenary. The concert will also include a short choral piece, Presents, by local composer Marguerite Wallis. Soloists include cellist Jacqueline Johnson and contralto Katherine Cooper, with conductor James Longstaffe.

Other concerts include the café-style Gypsy Jazz and Music from the Balkans with three Grenoble bands and Four Centuries of Music for Brass and Organ with local trumpeter Stephen Cutting, Dutch ensemble Scherzo and organist Gabriele Damiani. Local Horns of Plenty will join the Grenoble bands for the traditional May morning celebrations.

Oxford artist Diana Bell will bring her Big Book, a sculpture of wood and leather that has travelled all over Europe, and there will be various exhibitions and talks, a photo trail and a traditional Grenoble market.

Alps and Spires
Various venues
April 26 – May 3
For information call 01865 249062 or visit oxford.gov.uk/alpsandspires