It is a tradition that the Colomiers Community Conservatory begins the end-of-year celebrations with the Christmas concert at the Sainte-Radegonde church. Friday evening the church was full of an audience won over in advance. Of course, the friends, parents and families of the Conservatory students mingled with the regulars of the Christmas concert to respond to the annual invitation. It is true that this concert is always of high artistic quality, proof that the Conservatory develops the talents of columérins.es
This concert also closed in style the year celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Conservatory. The evening was magical and of a high standard since the program was based around Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, a work known to be difficult and demanding.
The two choirs (Colophonies and Gers-en-chœur) know it well having rehearsed it many times and performed it three times in large halls last summer with the Grand Chœur d’Occitanie (at the Grand Théâtre d’Albi , at Lectoure Cathedral and at the Halle aux Grains in Bagnères-de-Bigorre). “A great adventure with 180 singers!” confides Delphine Pascaut, director of the Conservatory.
For this Christmas concert, the three excerpts from the requiem (Tuba Mirum, Lacrimosa and Liberame) were performed by the two choirs together, accompanied, not by professional artists, but by the soloists, the two pianos, the percussion and the brass. , all students of the Conservatory. An original version under the baton of chef Anne-Claude Gérard whose energy, demand and complicity with young and old artists is a pleasure to see and hear.
The program also included other works such as the music from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (Thus Spoke Zarathustra by R. Strauss), a Fanfare for Christmas Time by G. Arcens performed by the brass or even a duo of young percussionists to rock Two dragons by W. Stephens.
The show was complete since certain works played by young pianists were set in motion by classical dancers from the Conservatory to well-known choreographies adapted by the dance teacher. The trio demonstrated great mastery and elegance.
In 2025, we will be happy to return to the Conservatory for other musical events such as La Nuit des conservatoires on January 31, the Press-Play festival from March 14 to 16, the keyboard day on April 5 and 6, the Fête de music on June 21…
