Fete de la Musique

Fête de la Musique

It was cold that day

winterish in June and even rain was threatened.

We wondered, would they come

to the huge-capacity barn, not warm,

wind whistling through the gaps.

What call for opera deep in rural France

we wondered, would they come?

But come they did, nombreux, in droves

all that wonderful weekend

for opera and jazz (with brunch) woodwind and pop

(circa 1960), then Grand Finale, Gloria!

Sacred music in the church.

What a gift he has and o so generously shares

the choir master, chef,

all of us, the international troupe somehow imbued

a magic conjuring trick

with notes and keys and musicality.

Together, sixty strong, we stood and watched his baton

followed where he led

raised our  voices, sang from our souls

and shared something sublime.

July 5th 2013, Hounoux, for Alan Simmons in appreciation