Rain at the concert, rehearsals are broadcast: almost half a million in front of the TV

The mountain is invisible. One minute you are surrounded by mist and cold from the rain, the next you are kissed by the most pleasant rays of the sun. Perhaps this is why on the morning of August 15, thousands arrived, already at dawn, in Prato Nevoso despite the storm that had been raging since the night. From the whole province, from Turin, from abroad. They hoped the weather would change in time to attend the August 15 symphony concert of the Cuneo Orchestra Bartolomeo Bruni at Balma Alpet, at an altitude of 2,000 meters.

Between 7 am and 1 am, the valley’s car counter recorded that more than 5,000 vehicles were moved. At height the work started early. The group is involved, in addition to the Rai employees who have been promoting the concert for thirty years, hundreds of people including volunteers, associations, law enforcement agencies and technicians. « Months of preparation lost due to the instability of the weather – says the mayor of Frabosa Sottana Adriano Bertolino -: it is a great disappointment not to be able to organize the main event of the summer of Cuneo. This is probably the first time in the last ten years. With the efforts, which were in vain, a plan “B” would be needed for the future, for tourists and those who have spent many hours of work. I thank everyone who made a valuable contribution.” On the proposal to move the concert to the PalaSagra: “Impossible, considering the size of the orchestra and the needs of the Rai technicians”.

For those at home, the dress rehearsal from the previous day was broadcast. More than 450,000 viewers (5.5% share) and two thousand who had the intuition to watch the test live. On Thursday, at the concert, they would have been at least three times more. Many stayed at the summit despite the event being cancelled. With good reason: the sun appeared again at noon, but it was too late.

The same weather movements in the valleys of Grana and Varaita Terre del Monviso where the celebrations in Castelmagno and Casteldelfino were recorded. But the time chosen was luckier: at 4pm in Castelmagno and at 6pm in Casteldelfino the sun was back. Lou Dalfin was there to bring the Ferragosto in Val Grana to life: “We were able to count on a fantastic team – says director Sergio Berardo -, who assembled, disassembled and assembled everything with professionalism big: we are at a height of 1800, in the morning there was a storm. Thanks to them we played for more than two hours.”

“They” are the people from the «Occit’amo» Festival. More than 1,500 spectators: at the time, the Delfini gave themselves an ad hoc format, 10 elements instead of eight, with a Provencal flute player and an additional guitar. The first sun returned to Casteldelfino after 2 pm, four hours before the concert in the amphitheater en plein on the Museum of sacred art dedicated to the Saints of the People. Organized by the band «Conte Corrado Falletti» of Villafalletto. at the first part there were a thousand people: «Then the temperature dropped suddenly – said the mayor, Domenico Amorisco -, but the bleachers and the chairs stayed at least.”