Summer
here in France begins with the sound of music. The 21st June marks
the date not only of the first day of summer but, more importantly, of the public
celebration of music and arts that is the Fête de la Musique. Launched in 1982
by the then Minister for Culture in order to promote music for everyone, it has
become a much loved and celebrated festival all over France and has also spread
to hundreds of other countries around the world.
On the
21st June from midday to midnight, just about every town in France
will have some sort of event or concert taking place and all genres of music on
the streets, in the squares, in public buildings, parks, stations and castles
along with, of course, plenty of good food, wine and merrymaking. The
department of the Ministry of Culture in charge of promoting the Fête de la Musique requires that
all concerts must be free to the public, that all performers donate their time
for free and that it be open to any musician, amateur
or professional, who want to perform in it (hence the quality of the music on
offer can vary hugely!) The aim of the Fête
is to attract as large an audience as possible and to popularise every kind of
music from classical to rock, jazz to fusion, latino to choral, for everyone of
all ages and from all backgrounds.
Furthermore, the Fête de la Musique is a way to encourage
the major music institutions (orchestras, operas, choirs, music schools) to
perform outside their usual location and to develop exchanges between city
centres and their outlying areas, to offer concerts in hospitals or in prisons,
to promote encounters and exchanges between young musicians and well-known
talents and to encourage a love of music of every and any kind.
Celebrated in over 110
countries around the world, it is now the world’s largest music
event and if you are in France on 21st June, it is guaranteed to be
happening where you are. Bonne fête.
