Fêtes de la Musique

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All over France, it’s been yet again the Weekend of the Festival, in low-key, community focussed kind of way: this time, les Fêtes de la Musique. From what I can gather, originally this was the weekend when children received the results of the music exams they’ve been taking over the last week or two. So community music centres would gather together all their pupils in a concert for the locals to celebrate their successes.

Now, it’s so much more than that. Our regional paper, La Dépêche du Midi, had a whole double page spread on Friday detailing all that was planned throughout the Ariège.
Musical picnics, recitals, jazz in the market place, music in the streets followed by a community meal, concerts in bars…… A bar in one local village was planning a karaoke session of 60’s music led by a local guitarist, while another promised an afternoon with the Majorettes, but Laroque went for the traditional option of having all the children from the Ecole de Musique singing and playing in the main square at 6.00 p.m. We narrowly avoided a thunder storm and parents, passers-by and neighbours, all strolled up the hill, and sat down with a drink from the bar to watch everyone perform. A pleasant way to spend a summer’s early evening.

We couldn’t stay long though, as I had to get ready for the concert with my choir in Lavelanet. A programme of sacred music in the church, which seemed to go down well with the audience of our nearest and dearest and not too many others. The people of Lavelanet had plenty to choose from, as we discovered after the concert was over. Bands marching in the streets, rock bands in the main square, cabaret acts in the covered market, music in the bars…. We mooched round enjoying it all on our way to the performers’ bar, where the municipality was offering us all refreshments after our efforts.

So it’s been a weekend of music. Friday night we were at an organ concert here at Laroque- it’s a 300 year old instrument with quite a past- Louis X1V, Couperin, Widor all play their part in its history. Tonight we went to support the woman who conducts my choir: she‘s quite a star, as she simultaneously sang with her wonderfully rich soprano voice, conducted a vocal ensemble, and several instrumentalists. Both events fitted in with the absolute need in France to preserve the sanctity of the evening meal. Friday night’s event began as is usual, at 9.00 p.m, nicely after everyone had eaten. Today’s was at 5.30 - over in time for everyone to get home to eat not too long after 7.00……

By the way, after 6 weeks of pretty rotten weather (which was at its worst when the twins came last week with their mum and dad) it’s now 35 degrees, clear, sunny, hot - in fact the South of France as it should be in June.

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Photos

The youngest children singing
No question of forbidding photos of the children, as we do in England now. Instead it was 'Hang on, let's move the kids over here so you mums and dads can get a better shot'

The orchestra gets ready to play
yesterday at Laroque

Ready for my concert.....
...and all dressed up in my 'uniform'

A bar in Lavelanet....
.....open late so everyone coulds enjoy all the music

Rock bands in the market square
Emily might have been dismissive. She might have been right

A cabaret act....
....in the covered market