Background on the Artists Performing at the Festival part 2

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On Thursday, "Ensemble Accentus" from Austria perform at the festival. The ensemble was founded by Thomas Wimmer and the groups focus is on early music, with the emphasis placed on improvisation. Sephardic romances form part of the repertory having survived through the years by word of mouth and also have an improvisational character essential to the group. These songs are mainly Classical and Folk type from the 16th Century while they also perform songs from the end of the 17th Century which were from the Church music and polyphonic material.

The ensemble in itself have an important recording presence (NAXOS and ARCANA) and have performed on TV, Radio and many concerts worldwide including Brucknerhaus (Leeds), Essaouria (Morocco) and the Athens Music hall amongst many other places.

The final act of the festival performing on Friday and Saturday is the "Castiglione Fiorentino Historical Group" and it's Flag-Wavers. They originate from the ancient custom of flag-waving which dates back to the 12th Century around Europe and mainly to Italy where after a special event has happened, like the end of a war, the standard bearers of the town's military companies would perform difficult exercises with their flags as a show to celebrate the special event. Each display contains a vast (very large) amount of coloured flags circling above them bearing the town's emblem on them. Each exercise may be performed by either a single flag-waver whom uses the flags in such a way to leave you breathless by their harmony of movement or by the whole ensemble showing off their unity as a group. Through the years, the group has built up a name for its self and also help promote the town worldwide from the West of Europe, across the old Soviet Union and continuing to cross the world from the USA to Australia and across the African countries too but at the same time being heralds of peace and solidarity.  

The whole festival takes place at the Medieval Castle within the Center of Ayia Napa and entrance is free.

Yiannakis