“Achieving quality through positivity drives us!” Eleven women and men carry the 1,050 choristers of the Fous chantants d’Alès

De g. à d. en partant du haut : Manu Paterne, Jean-Marc Normand, Fabrice Schwingrouber, Anne Roget, Florent Robert, Olivier Bilquin, David Vincent, Marie Belz, Fabienne Bou, Caroline Magoules et Reynald Sac. Midi Libre – ALEXIS BETHUNE

Chefs de chœurs, directeurs artistiques et musicaux se retrouvent pour emmener les “Fous” vers leur 25e anniversaire.

They all came back for this 25th edition. All of them have experienced, at least once, the adventure of the Fous chantants d'Alès. Three form the “hard core”: Fabrice Schwingrouber, artistic director, David Vincent, conductor and Emmanuel “Manu” Paterne, musical director and choirmaster.

The latter is accompanied by eight other conductors from all over France and Wallonia. Eight choir enthusiasts who, without exception, have already experienced the Tempéras stage at least once.

“Give the best of ourselves”

This “club of nine”, the choristers, and the public, have already rubbed shoulders with them during the last two editions (Jean-Louis Aubert, 2023, and Pascal Obispo, 2022). Marie Belz remains the Cévenole of the team because she comes from Rousson. Still present are Anne Roget and Caroline Magoules (Pyrénées-Orientales), Olivier Bilquin and Reynald Sac (Namur, Belgium) Florent Robert (Savoie) and Jean-Marc Normand, also present in the adventure since 1998. Absent for Jean-Louis Aubert, Fabienne Bou (Provence), member of the team for Pascal Obispo, is also back. "How not to come back, she confides. There is in each of us the desire to get together together, it’s a real pleasure.&quot ;

A family spirit that seems omnipresent in each of them. "Like us, the choristers come to be with family in a way", underlines Caroline Magoules. "There is a spirit of kindness, adds Reynald Sac. Achieving quality through positivity drives us! We are driven to give the best of ourselves!"

Quality is naturally essential for the festival team. Everyone has been working on their part for many weeks, in coordination with the musical orchestra led by David Vincent. Last year, for Jean-Louis Aubert, the band was deliberately pop/rock, with guitars, bass, drums and piano. This year, the musical director is bringing in a few more strings, "Vianney is often accompanied by a quartet during these concerts".

In terms of arrangements, the artist’s musical touch will naturally be respected, especially for the songs that he will play on stage with the singers. For the others, "there will be quite a few openings, breathes David Vincent. I took some liberties in other pieces, with influences that are not necessarily his own."

"An honor"

Experienced in building this type of show, the team of “chefs” remains aware, however, that this 25th edition has a special flavor for the Fous chantants. "We haven't felt this much enthusiasm since Goldman", continues David Vincent. In 2000, the singer recorded, with the singers, part of his song Ensemble. Without doubt one of the musical director’s fondest memories.

A shared enthusiasm in the construction of Vianney's songs, which requires a certain concentration according to Florent Robert: "Vianney has quite sharp work on melody. It also has a rhythm with a big flow, which has a very modern, very pop influence. It’s music that has flow. It's super difficult to play at 1 000, but it’s a super interesting job to enhance !"

Yet, in concentration, the pressure of performing which must celebrate a quarter of a century of musical adventure, seems to be well managed. «&nbsp ;Coming here, getting together, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Les Fous chantants, is more of an additional joy to everything we are already experiencing than a pressure, estimates Marie Belz. It’is even an honor." An honor that the audience of the Tempéras arenas should very probably feel during the two planned concerts , Friday and Saturday evening.

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