Venue:
Salle Omnisports, Melrand, Departement du Morbihan, Brittany
Date: 29/06/2024
It has been a glorious summer’s day in the bosky heart of Brittany. Earlier in the day, there was a procession in costume up the lanes and streets to the market place by the church in Melrand, population 1500. It was all part of a weekend of events laid on by Les Bugales Melrand, a local association devoted to the safeguarding and promotion of Breton culture. Participation is part of the manifesto, and now it is evening, it is time for the ‘fest noz’. The association is celebrating 50 years. It’s going to be a big night.
A little of my history. I worked in Morbihan as a teenager, which led me to a niche taste for Breton folk music from an early age. I loved the music to listen to for its own sake. Thirty years later I had a Damascene conversion to the many strands of continental folk dance, and I suddenly found out what all this fabulous music was for. I put myself through a bootcamp of dance workshops, and now the music was for both my ears and my feet. This summer, for the first time since this education, I returned to Brittany to encounter the music in its native landscape for the first time.
The doors open at eight. There are posters around the hall with the schedule. The first revelation is to find that the programme finishes at three. Three in the morning! Holy crepes au beurre! Seven hours of dancing! They say ‘fest noz’ loosely translates as ‘night party’. They’re not wrong.
There’s a strong strand of singing for dance in the Breton tradition, particularly call and response. If you’re going to be heard over hundreds of pairs of feet, you’ve got to have some lungs on you, and there is a certain timbre to how they sing, men and women. Confessional it ain’t. Nonsensical it often is. The singer is not here to sway your political opinion or to encourage you to sob in your bedsit. The singer wants to give your feet something joyful and utterly rhythmic to get you on the dancefloor, and the words are punctuated with trills and remarkable vocal gymnastics that delight, rapid fire but always precise. There are nine acts and they complement each other. One moment there’s a six-strong male voice choir, giving it like a Breton Wilsons, then there’ll be a band of clarinet, accordion, guitar, maybe sax. It must be demanding for the sound guys, given the remarkably varied dynamics of each band, but they turn them around with five minutes between sets. I go to plenty of festivals, and I am impressed. But you don’t need to mic up the bombarde. The bombarde and the biniou, his high pitched little bagpipe mate, are the essence of the Breton sound. The bombarde’s closest relative might be the oboe, but an oboe with a piercing shriek that could be used to warn ships off the rocks of Finistere. Oh no, you don’t want to mic up the bombarde; that won’t be necessary.
There’s a hubbub as the locals gather, reacquaintances made, distant cousins embraced. But I have come with no friends, and I have no intention of leaving with any; I’m here for one reason only. ‘C’mon lad, get on that dancefloor.’ Some Breton dances are in couples, but most are ‘ronds’ in circles, or lines, so once you’ve worked out what dance suits the tune, you just hop on the end of the line. Or break in, comme vous voulez, and just hang on as these sinuous lines snake across the dancefloor, constantly changing direction, typically led by some young turk prancing with exaggerated step, most definitely showing off to his belles. Reputedly there’s several hundred distinct Breton dances, so there’s no possible way that some pommie tourist will know them all, but one thing I have done is that I have learned how to learn, and fast. Suss out who the experts are in the line, watch the feet, hope the arms aren’t too complicated, work out which family of dances this one belongs to, and jump in. Don’t worry, most of the locals are no wiser than you are and are blagging it too. It’s exhilarating, seat of the pants stuff, adrenalin surging. The lines weave, warp and weft, across the vast dancefloor, and you are part of it.
The audience:
Everybody is there. There’s no school tomorrow, so little ‘uns are running between the gavotting legs of grandparents, well past midnight. There’s couples of every generation. There may be a beer tent, a wine tent and, of course, a cider tent, but no-one is drunk. No-one is fat either. I suspect that life expectancy here must be pretty high and, boy, the oldies have got stamina. Crucially, kids are getting laid. Effectively, this is their school disco. This alone means that this tradition will thrive. It’s not just that everybody is there; everybody is dancing. There’s hardly any seats; there’s not much call for them. This barn of a sports hall should have the atmosphere of Deeside Leisure Centre, but instead it’s a community sharing in delight. The penultimate band should have been called The Band of Joy if that name hadn’t already been taken. Eight of them playing from the middle of the floor making such a bloody happy racket with bodies flowing round them. Pure hedonism, but clearly entirely normal for these folks.
It made me think..
I cycled back three miles up the hill to my rented cottage under a moonless sky with a slight glimmer on the eastern horizon, overwhelmed and exhausted. The fields and cottages were black and silent in stark contrast to what I had just witnessed. Did that really happen? I almost felt the need to go back and check, but the greater desire was to go back and do it all over again.
thecheshirecat says
Not the event I went to, but this gives a very good idea of the dancefloor.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Tis why I love this place – music I know precisely nothing about (even though our neighbour is Breton and we had to sit through hours of it at his daughter’s wedding) but heartfelt and beautifully written. You and Bingo should write a book. ..
thecheshirecat says
That was the joy of The Word. I remember specifically loving an extensive article on Iron Maiden, a band in whom I have no interest whatsoever.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Wht a fabulous report! Thank you so much for taking me back in time….
Many years ago, in a field on the edge of Tal-Ar-Groas in Finistère, my wife and I enjoyed an evening at the village bal champêtre. Gosh, I drank a lot of cidre that night, and heck did we have fun dancing! What glorious music we heard.
hubert rawlinson says
Splendid read and I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you dancing early this month.
Kaisfatdad says
As always, CC, you inspire me to want to know more about the place you r describing.
So let’s have a look around Morbihan.
The people who did that clip have done a lot of Brittany stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/@baladesadeuxenbretagne5629
Like this
Kaisfatdad says
Here is photo album with pics of the younger folk from Les Bugales Melrand.
And now the grown ups. Yikes! There’s some very vigorous jumping going on.
Honestly, Cheshire! If you are doing these dances, you must be in better condition than anyone here on the Afterword!! Respect!
After that, I needed to chill out a little so I found some Breton reggae!
thecheshirecat says
@kaisfatdad Two of my favourite dances that keep me fit:
The Kost ar c’Hoat
and the Avant Deux de Travers
That second clip made me smile, having not seen it before. I recognise half the people on it!
Kaisfatdad says
It’s all very impressive stuff. Those gents are all wonderfully nimble., even they look a little odd with numbers on their backs.
Come to think of it, I can’t think of any form of competitive dancing in the UK where the men are dancing alone.
Here’s a little background on the dance.
https://folkdancemusings.blogspot.com/2016/01/kost-ar-choad-brittany-france.html
Way above my head, but it certainly goes nto interesting detail.
That site is an amazing piece of scholarship.
Here are all the dances from Brittany that they’ve observed:
Brittany
If you go onto the site, there is a link for every dance style, usually illustrated by a YT video, Impressive stuff!
An Dro – Brittany
An Dro Retrouné – Brittany
An Dro Roumaneg – Brittany/Romania (Choreographed by someone from the Netherlands)
Avant Deux en Ronde – Brittany
Avant deux de touches – Brittany
Avant deux de travers (line dance version) – Brittany
Bal du Jugon, Le – Brittany
Bannielou Lambaol – Brittany
La Champeloise – Brittany
Chañj Tu – Brittany
Dañs Fañch – Brittany
Dañs Fisel – Brittany
Dañs Trikot – Brittany
Dañs Tro Plinn – Brittany
Gavotte (basic) – Brittany
Gavotte D’Honneur – Brittany
Gavotte mod Spezet – Brittany
Gilgoden – Brittany
Hanter Dro – Brittany
Jabadao – Brittany
Jabadao de Bagad Men Glaz – Brittany
Jilgoden – Brittany
Kas a Barh – Brittany
Kejaj – Brittany
Kost Ar C’hoad – Brittany
La Champeloise – Brittany
La Maraîchine – Brittany
Laride – see le Laride
Le Bal du Jugon – Brittany
Le Laridé à 6 temps – Brittany
Le Laridé à 7 temps – Brittany
Le Laridé à 8 temps – Brittany (this is the one most commonly done in the US)
Le Laridé de Locmariaquer (Moreau Version) – Brittany
Le Laridé de Locmariaquer (LeBlanc Version) – Brittany
Le Rond de Saint Vincent – Brittany, France
Polka Piquée – Brittany
Ridée — see La Laride
Rond de Landéda – Brittany
Rond de Loudéac – Brittany
Rond de Saint Vincent – Brittany, France
Trikot/Tricot – Brittany
Valse Écossaise – Brittany
I just had to go and check out Swedish dances:
For example:
Swedish-Norwegian Waltz and Waltz Mixer
Sweden/Norway/USA
This description ©2024, Andrew Carnie. Taught originally by Gordon Tracie. Also taught by Roo Lester. This dance isn’t currently danced in Sweden, but Tracie found one old couple in Dalarna that recognized it as a dance they called Norsk Vals (Norwegian Waltz).
It is possibly a dance done in the USA primarily by immigrants but lost in Scandinavia itself. Tracie first observed it in Scandinavian communities in the Pacific NW of the USA. It is structurally very similar to the American “Norwegian Polka” except in waltz time.
thecheshirecat says
Oh that’s just scratching the surface!
And it’s just not Brittany with strong traditions in traditional dance: the Auvergne, the Morvan, the Bearn; they all have their dances. How about this one from the Berry, in the very centre of France? Also a great favourite with my crowd.
Kaisfatdad says
The French really are a nation of dancers!
And I am equally impressed by that enormous band.
The YT channel you took that from is a real treasure trove.
https://www.youtube.com/@lesetourniasgroupe9633
They also have a FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063993159908&ref=hl
Look at that band!. About 28 of them,. Who could resist tappping their toes to that superb ensemble.
Here’s another fine display of dancing and musicianship.
Take your partners for La Maraichine!
thecheshirecat says
Ever so grateful, presumably to The Mods (aren’t we always?) for the appropriate photo added to the OP. Does this kind of thing happen all the time?
Kaisfatdad says
I do like folk big bands. There can no better way to dance than having a large orchestra providing the music. There are many different traditions.
In the Nordic countries we have the spelemanslag. Here’s one from Lom in Norway
In Galicia they have the splendid Bandas de Gaitas – Pipe bands-
What about British folk big bands?
The only one I can think of is Bellowhead.
They are slightly different in that they were a professional combo.
I’m very keen to know about these French folk trad big bands that play at these bals trad and bals folk. Wiki is excellent on this:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal_folk
“Un bal folk ou bal trad est une forme de bal où sont dansées des danses populaires dites folk ou trad mêlant danses de couple, mixers modernes d’Europe, et danses régionales issues de collectages.”
You’d think that these were part of a long-standing tradition. Well they are but they got a big boost in the early 1970s.
“Les bals folks sont apparus dans les années 1970, dans la mouvance sociale d’après mai 682. Les danses sont transmises et parfois recréées par des musiciens ou danseurs dit collecteurs3.
“En France, le premier événement nommé « Bal Folk » a été organisé en 19734 avec les groupes Grand mamou Folk, Catherine Perrier et John Wright et Phil Fromont à l’ENSEA de Clichy5,6. Les groupes de musique trad et folk perpétuent, réinterprètent ou réinventent pour les danseurs les danses populaires, traditionnelles, de salon, de la cour ainsi que d’autres provenances”
I’d never heard of Catherine Perrier who was a main mover in the French folk revival but she has a gorgeous voice.
Lots more to discover!
But just before bedtime, here’s Julie Fowlis with a magnificently large Scottish ensemble..
hubert rawlinson says
The Albion Dance Band in 76 has 11 musicians listed on ‘The Prospect Before Us’ certainly when I saw them then it was a pretty full stage.
Kaisfatdad says
What better way to start Sunday morning, Hubert, than some Albion Dance Band?
Two clips from the National Theatre’s Lark Rise to Candleford. (!978)
As ever, Cheshire, you’ve opened some fascinating doors for us.
I was fascinated to discover that Balfolk is a whole trans-European movement.
You can got to London Balfolk events or example.
https://londonbalfolk.org.uk/dancing-london-balfolk/
Here is their explanation:
“Balfolk is a tradition of music and dance from across Europe
A fun, easy form of dance popular across europe, something like a European ceilidh.
Thousands of people of all ages attend festivals such as Boombal (BE), Damada (FR), Andanças (PT), Gran Bal Trad (IT) and the Grand bal de l’Europe (FR). There are vibrant folk dance scenes in towns and cities across Northern Europe, France and Italy, and a growing dance scene in London.”
We do popular folk dances from across Europe, with a particular focus on French styles. Among others these include circle dances like the Chapeloise and Cercle Circassien, partnered dances including Schottish, Mazurka, Waltz, Polka, dances which take the form of long, snaking lines – many of which are Breton and some dances like bourée from central France.”
Their site even provides a list of some of the tunes you’ll be dancing to:
https://londonbalfolk.org.uk/home/tunes/
The first tune is by Andy Cutting who is clearly a very big name in the Balfolk world.
That led me to an album he’s made with German fiddle Gudrun Walther. Here’s they are playing a Norwegian tune.
And the mention of Belgian Boombal led to this fine combo, Naragonia.
Who of course, I then discovered, have played with Andy Cutting!
They led led me to this lively combo from Flanders: Wör.
Never mind the Balfolk! Where’s the breakfast??
Time for me to feed the family!
retropath2 says
You want big? How about Joe Broughton’s Conservatoire Folk Ensemble:
thecheshirecat says
Didn’t they blow the stack at Cropredy when they played there?
Kaisfatdad says
Thanks @retropath2. That really was quite extraordinary. And very well-filmed too. It really captures the enthusiasm and joy of the musicians.
The Sibelius Academy Folk Big Band from Helsinki seem like a tiny combo by contrast. But they are wonderful anyway.
thecheshirecat says
Yes, there is something wonderful about a sheer mass of musicians. I’m also quite fond of that ‘nicely out of tune’ effect that you get from having so many stringed instruments that they can’t possibly all be perfectly tuned, especially with the echoes of a cavernous space. The opening night of les Panards in Todmorden each October features just such a scratch band.
Oh look! There I am doing the Rond St Vincent!
You have picked well there, Mr KFD. It is a matter of record that Andy Cutting is my favourite musician in the land, but even I didn’t know he had collaborated with Ms Walther.
And we hosted Naragonia in Chester last September. What a great night that was. As a result I can claim that I have been the support act for two of your artists offered – Naragonia and Andy Cutting – of which I am most proud.
Kaisfatdad says
What an extraordinary coincidence, Cheshire!
I knew about your enthusiasm about Andy Cutting.
But when I posted Naragonia, I never for a second expected that anyone here had heard of them. I stumbled across a couple of tracks on Spotify and immediately liked what I heard. To hear that you had played on the same bill as them really was icing on the cake.
Let’s have another track from the Naragonia Quartet!
Here’s a Swedish titbit from my Sunday morning meanderings.
Back in 2018, Emma Ahlberg Ek recorded an album of music by Hillevi Öberg (1897 – 1979). Hillevi made a living both by playing in a dance band and working as musician in her local cinema!
It’s a great story:
https://musikverket.se/capricerecords/artikel/hillevi/?lang=en
And you can listen to the entire album on Spotify:
Kaisfatdad says
My quest this evening for folk big bands has led me to the oddest of places this evening.
Here I am In Galicia in the north of Spain enjoying the Orquesta Poceiro Big Band.
The pensioners in the audience are loving it! In this bolero, the singer, Miguel Torres, goes into the audience and serenades two senoras. Very off piste for this trad but very charming.