This past Saturday, Paris welcomed the summer solstice and its gift of a sunny cloudless 75 degree day. And if the perfect weather wasn't enough to persuade everyone to head outdoors, the annual celebration of the Fête de la Musique was...
Fête de la Musique is a festival held every year on June 21st, encouraging the performance of amateur and professional musicians of any age, genre and background to perform for the public for free. It offers opportunities for up and coming artists to share their talent and fills the streets with a wonderful atmosphere of community and symphony. Launched in 1982 by the French Ministry for Culture, the Fête aims to apply the principle of the music everywhere and the concert nowhere. It is now being held in hundreds of little towns, villages, squares, restaurants and cities all the around the world.
In Paris, a program for the Fête was available to plan and schedule your day... instead, my family decided to walk from the Right Bank to the Left, letting our ears lead the way... my boys were pulled from one corner to the next by the blare of electric guitars, and one band did a terrific job with The Cure's Boys Don't Cry. I was enchanted by a large group of women in straw hats singing in sweet harmony to traditional folk music in front of Eglise St-Severin. Our favorite musician, however, was a gentleman (third photo above) who after wishing us a "bonne fête de la musique," pulled out his melodica and played, just for my boys, a beautiful rendition of Beethoven's Für Elise :)
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This looks and sounds positively magical!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks to your word and pictures I can still hear the music play. A magical day it was!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos!
ReplyDeleteOh, my God! What is the sky blue you .. France, great!
ReplyDeleteHow fun! For the musicians and the audiences, and it looks like there were crowds present to enjoy. Nice photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat series of photos! It must have been a wonderful occasion.
ReplyDeleteThe captures in black and white, make this so much better and I love the textural qualities of the imagery.
ReplyDeleteFür Elise just for you?! What a lovely gesture. Paris is such a unique place and full of surprises.I love to stroll through the town in August when every " real" Parisian is on holidays and ( avoiding the touristic spots) the city is quiet. Wonderful captures.
ReplyDeleteA wonderfully musical afternoon with perfect weather for strolling and listening and how great to have a personal serenade played for your sons, Catherine
ReplyDeleteLove the bw shots ~ so fitting for the music fest ~ OWT ~ thanks, ^_^
ReplyDeleteartmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)
Looks great in B&W.
ReplyDeleteThe way you processed the images looks like you took us back in time...what a wonderful concept to celebrate the beginning of summer.
ReplyDeleteOh, I do love music festivals ...this looks like such fun and your photos are awesome.
ReplyDeleteHere from Around the World...
Beautiful as always! The second one is my favorite!
ReplyDeletehttp://m-as-me.blogspot.it/
Oh how fun! You captured the energy beautifully!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great time! What lovely photos. They look so good in black and white.
ReplyDeleteCatherine, There you are in Paris enjoying music, and I'm seeing a rug I have in Breckenridge in that last photo! Hope you have a great summer with your family.
ReplyDeleteHope your move is going smoothly Barb...looking forward to seeing you back online! Enjoy your summer too :) xo
DeleteThank you all so much for your very kind comments :)
ReplyDeleteLove your straw hat ladies...and especially the gentleman that played for your boys! Thanks so much for linking up!
ReplyDeleteLove these street scenes
ReplyDeleteMollyxxx
Great crowd shots. Looks like a fun time.
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