Il était une fois... 125 ans: concert dates and venues
The Romandie working group has created a traveling musical show to celebrate the 125th anniversary of our association. It will be performed three times in French-speaking Switzerland this autumn: starting in Pays-d'Enhaut, we will then move on to Val-de-Ruz and finish our tour at the end of Lake Geneva.
Béatrice Villiger, Paola de Luca - The first curtain will rise in the village's historic temple on the stage of the "Le Bois qui Chante" festival in Château-d'Oex. Subsequent performances will take place in Chézard- St-Martin, as part of the Neuchâtel chapter's 60th anniversary celebrations, and in the canton of Geneva, in the annex to the Conservatoire Populaire de Musique Danse et Théâtre in Petit-Lancy.
"Il était une fois... 125 ans" (Once upon a time... 125 years) is the result of collaboration between the four French-speaking sections of the SSPM: Vaud, Geneva, Neuchâtel and Valais. The concerts will bring together some forty amateur and professional participants, and will be a great collaboration between teachers and their students (children and adults) as well as their choirs and/or orchestras.
Béatrice Villiger will take on the role of narrator, guiding the musicians and audience on this journey through time, as if there were a central committee secretary with the power to span the 20th century and beyond... From 1893 to the present day, she will live through 125 years rich in discoveries, inventions and human events, while highlighting key dates in the history of the association, the evolution of music education in Switzerland and anecdotes gathered from some of the SSPM's living memories.
The show will follow the same storyline in all three performances, but will be adapted to the strengths of each region, offering three original versions resulting from collaboration between local contributors and those from the different sections. While the same vocal ensemble will perform in Château-d'Oex and Geneva, Chézard-St-Martin will have its own choir, under the baton of John Michet. Geneva's Chézard-St-Martin shows will have their own instrumental ensemble, directed by Monique Buunk-Droz, which will be enlarged for the occasion by that of Château-d'Oex. Violin teacher Valérie Gretillat and her students will present Suzuki pedagogy at all three shows. The spellbinding sound of Diane Pauvert's harp will also be heard at all three performances, while brilliant young pianists will be on hand in Neuchâtel and Geneva. A special place will be given to up-and-coming young musicians, with the presence of children's choirs and young instrumentalists.
As you can imagine, the musical program will be varied, ranging from Puccini to Shostakovich and Gustave Doret, with a hint of jazz and other surprises thrown in for good measure! The musical pieces are representative of each era, corresponding to key dates and events recounted by the participants. Children's and adult choirs, string orchestra, chamber music, solo pieces for piano, harp... All styles will be represented. A bit of history, a touch of humor and beautiful melodies resulting from a warm collaboration between musicians from all horizons: these are the ingredients that will tell you the story of a wonderful musical and human adventure.
Sunday, October 21, 2018 11am: Temple de Château-d'Oex, Chemin du Temple, 1660 Château-d'Oex.
> www.bois-qui-chante.ch
Saturday, November 24, 2018 6pm: La Rebatte, Grande Rue 56, 2054 Chézard-St-Martin.
Saturday, December 1, 2018 5:00 pm: Annexe CPMDT, Avenue Louis-Bertrand 5-7, 1213 Petit-Lancy (Geneva)
