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Strings Play in Silves Theatre

Saturday 25th March was an evening to remember. A talented string quartet played an inspiring programme in front of a highly appreciative audience at a concert organized by the Silves Rotary Club at the wonderful little Teatro Mascarenhas Gregório in Silves.
The Quarteto do Barlavento gave us delightful music by Mozart, Shostakovich and Algarvean composer Cristóvão Silva. Petra Vahle-Francis joined Bernhard & Christel Schlünder, Petra Axt-Adam and Daniela Zlatkin to perform a Mozart string quintet. Three of these musicians are members of local Rotary clubs. The special ambient of this intimate theatre was a perfect venue for such delightful music.
This benefit concert raised €3.000 for the Silves Rotary Clubs educational projects in local Silves schools. These projects provide pupils with the experiences and resources to expand their knowledge of the world, to build their self-esteem and maximise their opportunities.
Thanks go to Silves Câmara for generously allowing Silves Rotary Club to use their theatre for this concert and also special thanks to The Spectrum IFA Group for their kind sponsorship.


Charity Concert with Local Rotarian Musicians
Silves Rotary Club have wasted no time in putting their talented newest club member Petra Vahle-Francis on the stage!! Petra is a founder member “Solistes Europeens, Luxembourg” (SEL) which has for the last 30 years been one of the main attractions of Luxembourg’s music scene. She has just returned to the Algarve after performing in their most recent concert. The Quarteto de Barlavento has asked her to join them as their guest as they perform the Stringquintett KV 516 from W.A.Mozart in this charity concert.
On Saturday 25th March the Quarteto do Barlavento well known in the Algarve will perform a delightful programme of classical music at the Teatro Mascarenhas Gregorio in Silves. The evening’s programme features some of the finest string quartet music ever written: Mozart’s Stringquartett KV 525 (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik), Mozart’s String Quartet KV 516. It also includes the famous Waltz N° 2 by Shostakovich and a piece by local composer from Portimão Cristovao Silva “Recuerdos de Buenos Aires”. Each half is approximately 40 mins.
Its members are Bernhard Schlunder on violin, is President of the Praia da Rocha Rotary Club. He has played in concerts as a soloist in string quartets, Algarve International Orchestra (AIO) & the Barlavento Ensemble. Christel Schlunder on viola d’arco has also played in concerts with the AIO, the Orchestra Medica Iberico (OMI) and string quartets. Petra Axt-Adam on violin joined the Quarteto do Barlavento in 2021. She also plays with the AIO & OMI. In Holland she was a member of Rotterdam’s Yourth Orchestra & the Baroque Orchestra of Gouda. Daniela Zlatkin on violoncello also joined Quarteto do Barlavento in 2021. Since arriving in the Algarve in 2020 she has become part of the Algarve Camarata & Orquestra Sinfonica do Algarve. She has played with various Orchestras in Israel and Holland and has conducted youth orchestras and is the director of two music schools.
The theatre doors open at 7pm and attendees will be welcomed with drinks & snacks before the performance at 8pm.
Bookings and additional information please contact:
Sue Butler-Cole email: sueloram@gmail.com – Mob: 933 374 865 alternatively Maria Carvalho Mob: 916 145 739.
Tickets are a €25 donation per person which includes drinks and snacks. All funds raised will go towards Silves Rotary Club Educational Project.
SUPPORTING EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS THROUGH MUSIC:
Silves Rotary Club’s educational projects in local Silves schools provide pupils with the experiences and resources to expand their knowledge of the world, to build their self-esteem and maximise their opportunities. The Rotary Club of Silves works hard to raise funds so that it can help and support local schools in providing some of these stimulating extra curricula activities. Your attending this concert means that, not only will you be experiencing a lovely evening in a wonderful setting, but you will also be directly contributing to these such worthwhile school projects.
People of Action Around the globe
In September 10 members and friends of RC Silves with an average age of 73year, completed a 75 mile walk to raise funds for a sensory room and garden at a school in Armação de Pêra. Rotary International Magazine and Rotary Portugal Magazine picked up on our efforts and reported on the walk and our fundraising efforts. We hope that we inspired others to action.


Cabrita Wines Gains Professional Award
On the 19 January, RC Silves members and friends visited Cabrita Wines for a tour of the Vineyard. The tour was given by enologist Duarte. Cabrita Wines is a family business, dating back to 1977, and is a project by José Manuel Cabrita, current owner who inherited the property – Quinta da Vinha – and the family business from his father. In 2000, he decided to invest in planting a new vineyard and invited winemakers António Maçanita, Cláudia Favinha and Joana Maçanita to embrace the project, and Cabrita Wines was born in 2007. The project’s philosophy is to value the Portuguese and native varieties of the Algarve, and to extract from them all the quality potential for the production of excellent wines.



During lunch at the vineyard, RC Silves presented the business with its Professional award for 2023. In recognition of its achievements.

Casa do Povo in Messines celebrate 88 years
Casa do Povo in Messines celebrated 88 years in December and invited those who worked with them to attend a celebration. Isabel Flores, the current president of RC Silves, represented the club at the event. RC Silves has helped support Casa do Povo with projects for people with learning Difficulties and with food and masks during Covid pandemic. The President of the Casa do Povo de S. B. Messines, José Carlos Araújo, presented Isabel with a gift to thank RC Silves for all their support and to celebrate her presence at the Anniversary Gala.

Classic Car Rally and Christmas Swim
RC Silves worked closely with the Junta de Freguesia de Armação de Pêra and Classic Car Club of Barlavento this year to raise money to feed families in need over Christmas and the new year. The money from the raffle at the classic car rally and donations at the Christmas swim raised double that of previous years and enabled families to be fed for a further month. Thank you to all who bought tickets or donated at the swim.


Classic Car Event in Armação de Pêra
On the 6 November the Classic Car Club of Barlavento will hold its next classic car event which will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the area of the old Mini-Golf, in Armaçao de Pêra. This is a great opportunity to see up close these magnificently maintained vehicles that are part of transport history. Entry is free but this is also a fundraising event with raffles for vouchers offered by Holiday Inn Algarve and Vila Galé Nautico hotels. Christmas is fast approaching and the funds raised will be given to the Junta de Freguesia de Armação de Pêra to support of needy families in the parish. The draw will take place on December 4 at the final classic car event this year. The Rotary Club of Silves is supporting this event as part of its work for the communities in Silves.
If you have never been it is well worth a visit!
Christmas is coming. Time for the Shoebox Appeal
This is the 18th Annual Shoebox Appeal for the elderly of Silves. Christmas is just around the corner and this has been a difficult year for all but the elderly are suffering the most. These gifts at Christmas make a big difference. Members of the RC Silves contribute each year to this appeal and this year will be no exception. We hope that you can help us to provide gifts this Christmas. One Shoebox can make all the difference. See the poster below to see how you can help.
Rotary Pilgrims Arrive in Santiago de Compostela

Walking through History










