To close its commemorations of the 80e anniversary of the Landing, the town of Hérouville-Saint-Clair (Calvados) chose music. Friday June 7, 2024 at 7 p.m., Place François-Mitterrand was completely filled, with an audience that responded. Pleasure shared in very favorable weather, until the last pieces of American jazz around 9 p.m.
In a first speech, Michel Leboeuf, head of the Hérouville – Saint-Jean-Eudes veterans’ association, recalled the course of events, “which in 1944 caused the deadly battle of Lebisey Wood, preceding the liberation of Caen”. In a few words Agnès Dolhem, deputy in charge of cultural actions, discusses the choice for this final event of the 80e in Hérouville: “Music is a universal language. » Then Rodolphe Thomas, the mayor, said his “pride in front of the 500 schoolchildren who sang the Song of the Partisans June 6.”
50 young students from the conservatory
To begin the concert, nearly 50 young students from the conservatory sat behind their desks. Under the direction of Mélanie Queuniet, the orchestra of cycle 1, then that of cycle 2, played pieces ranging from Yankee Doodle has Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.
The town’s harmony orchestra enlivened the rest of this pleasant musical evening, starting with military marches. “In the march of the 2e armored division (DB), Saint-Cyr, Sambre and Meuse, military music highlights all the wind instruments », explains Norbert Genvrin who conducts the orchestra. Spontaneously, the audience stands up to listen to the Canadian, English, American and French anthems. The concert ended with film music, such as We have to save the soldier Ryanpieces of American jazz, including Glenn Miller Medley And Under Paris Skiessung with the audience.
