Rocking it

After an enforced pause due to the forest fire, normal summer entertainment has resumed. This evening's show was by regular visitor Bruno "Smiling Face" Perren as a trio with pianist Marc Hévéa and bassist Eric Robert, in the lovely setting of the chateau. Bravo to them for their camera-friendly lighting setup! And also for Bruno's choice of repertoire, a selection of Georges Brassens songs mixed with settings of poems by Louis Aragon -- a surrealist poet who was a popular choice for song settings by many of the great French singers.

I know I often say I'm not a fan of chanson française, but there are exceptions. Bruno is a classically trained singer and combines excellent technique with expressivity and an ability to communicate emotion. I'm also a big fan of Marc Hévéa's sensitive piano skills. Brassens is always a pleasure, and I confess I hadn't realised how many classic French songs are settings of Aragon poems. It was a really well balanced set, much appreciated by a bigger audience than is usual at these events.

This repertoire gives me an excuse to repost a link to Cécile McLorin Salvant singing Est-ce que c'est ainsi que les hommes vivent ? Unbeatable, but Bruno's version is excellent too. Then there's the dramatic homage to 23 foreign resistance fighters shot by the Nazis, L'affiche rouge (Aragon again, set to music by Léo Ferré). I was quite spellbound by these and a few others. Of course they had to end with Brassens' Les Copains d'abord, with enthusiastic audience participation, especially for the tooting at the end. Home close to midnight.