Any Mudcatters in Paris?

Subject: Any Mudcatters in Paris?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 Apr 17 - 07:00 PM

No this is not about the panic of the day. (Please, mods, DELETE any political twattishness dumped in this thread).

I'm going to be in Paris for a few days at the beginning of May. Are any Mudcatters there at the moment? If so, PM me?

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters in Paris?
From: Thompson
Date: 21 Apr 17 - 03:22 AM

Not to mention in central France, where the fabulous Le Son Continu festival is on this mid-July - it started as a festival of instrument-makers and grew to the extent that thousands now attend, and it has its own owl!

It's held in the grounds of the beautiful mediaeval Château d'Ars

Short film on last year's festival
Wiki on the area
Le Son Continu festival official site

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters in Paris?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 21 Apr 17 - 04:19 AM

I'm actually going to the klezmer event at Le Tapis Vert near Alencon and will be in Paris a bit before and after.

Le Son Continu is a campervan festival, out of the question for me.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters in Paris?
From: Thompson
Date: 21 Apr 17 - 04:21 AM

And from a Wiki about the area (run through Google Translate)

"The legacy of George Sand is celebrated every year, at the International Meetings of luthiers and masters ringers; Since 2009, they take place in the castle of Ars, in the neighboring town of Lourouer-Saint-Laurent). It is the biggest European event devoted to ancient and traditional music and instrument factors, and the first manifestation of the department of Indre. The castle was bought back in 2008. Since then, extensive restoration work has continued15.

"In 1992, the Alsatian poet-troubadour René Egles devoted one of his works to the atmosphere that emerges from these "Rencontres internationales" through the title "La Chouette de Saint Chartier". He explains it himself: "Saint-Chartier is the Mecca of the folk of France, with a throne reach of Nohant, where George Sand, the good lady of the place, resided! When the floodlights and the songs of the bagpipers, Celtic hurdy-gurdy harps and Celtic harps are lit in the dark night of Saint-Chartier, the owl of the castle unfurls its white wings and hangs over the festival. It is this atmosphere that I tried to recreate on my zither"

One of the organisers is an Irish guy living in France, mentioned
here during The Gathering as organiser of the international Rose of Tralee festival.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters in Paris?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 21 Apr 17 - 05:10 AM

I know people who go regularly. I'm sure it's great - if you've got a campervan. (Or if your kit is sufficiently minimal and weatherproof that you can carry a tent all the way from home - another category I don't belong in).

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters in Paris?
From: Thompson
Date: 25 Jul 17 - 11:43 AM

Went and it was really nice. How much rubbish at the end of a four-day festival with several thousand people? Not one single scrap. Six dance floors, beautiful dances (including classes) from all over France plus Italy, England, Israel, Canada, brilliant bands including Faburden, Ormuz, Máirtín O'Connor Band, Luc Arbogast (see Game of Thrones!) etc; many stalls where instrument-makers sold their handmade professional musical instruments ranging from vielle and cornemuse to harps, etc, etc; camping (well organised and comfortable) in tents and campers in two clean empty fields - hundreds of musicians gently jamming in ad hoc or organised bands and people dancing to their music; the soft sound of traditional French music all day and night except between around 5am and 10am (much nicer than it sounds). It only costs something like €18 a day to attend, and if you wanted you could probably get accommodation in the nearby town of La Châtre. All organised around an ultra-romantic 14th- (13th?)-century castle, a haunt of the novelist George Sand in her day. Highly recommended if you want a festival to go to next year.

You can also volunteer (look for "benevole" on the website) and get in for free in exchange for six hours' work per day; you get a nice lunch and dinner with wine if you do this.