A fascinating book by Jean-Pierre Pichard: “Le Phil – Festival Interceltic de Lorient

Every year, during the first half of August, a large and, now, very famous and referenced cultural and festival meeting dedicated to Celtic music, takes place in Lorient, with about 750,000 Bretons, summer visitors and international tourists, and about 3 million spectators. brings together. During the televised broadcast of the event, on France 3 national.

This, now legendary, is the Festival Interceltic de Lorient, named for the initiates, the regulars, the intimates…

The Festival Interceltic de Lorient was born in 1971 from the Ashes of the Bagpipe Festival and its Bagado competition, which until then took place in Brest, but including the city of Finistre, following the redevelopment of the palace square where it is located. The resulting conflict between the Music Assembly and the Town Hall of Brest and Bodadeg r Sonnerian (Assembly of Bell-Ringers – BAS) no longer wanted to keep it in their port city, moreover, the future of Breton music would be uncertain! …

The founding president of the BAS, Polig Monzaret, proposed the restart to Pierre Guergadic, the president of the Lorient Festival Committee, who accepted it.

In 1972, he was joined by a certain Jean-Pierre Pichard, Caveren Rozon’s pen sonner (Brigand de Rennes of Brittany in 1969), who had gone to study in Scotland and who dreams of interceltism with his mind. attacked and returned. ..

As the managing director of this vast organization for nearly 37 years, it is through the fascinating writing of this very beautiful 192-page book, which is generously illustrated, that Jean-Pierre Pichard gives us the opportunity to discover, from the inside. invite to. “Great Human Adventure” Bathed in this hope for interceltism, then materialized and, during each edition, was confirmed by the presence of many more different groups and styles of music from Western Europe.

From the Breton dimension, we went to an interceltic festival, open to other cultures. For example, Acadia, Canada’s French-speaking minority, was the guest of honor at the festival during its 42nd edition, which was held from 3 to 12 August 2012.

Jean-Pierre Pichard, the designer and organizer of events on all continents, has helped make him internationally famous. We owe him in particular, the Celtic Nights of the Stade de France in Paris, Saint-Patrick’s Day in Bercy, or, in 2007, the Breeze Parade on the Champs–lysées. (our report)

As the Breton author specifies, in the preface,

“This book consists of 3 main chapters.

The first, the shortest, presents the foundations that were able to produce what we call today’s Celtic countries.

The second part is the longest and perhaps the most lively, the era of pioneers I discovered as an apprentice Breton musician in the late 1950s and accompanied me to the Parade des Bretons on the Champs Elysees.

The third part, I was not responsible for it, but I tried to put it side by side with it as an outside observer. ”

Through this particularly lively and dense work, never boring, Jean-Pierre Pichard tells us about excessive work, without real means, tension, crazy race, but at the same time, and above all, friendship and original The joy of living in this remarkable human epic.

He tells us about a warm encounter with the volunteers and professional technicians who made this adventure possible.

Reading this fort is enriching and “Semi-Great Memorial Report”, You will feel at the sight of the author’s tonic words and very beautiful pictures printed on a quality paper, the thrill in front of the parade of bagado, you will hear the sound of the bagpipes, the voice and the sound of the instruments Artists of great names, such as more confidential Famous people, even those who are artistic, were born during this revealing celebration.

It is, indeed, a work, very pleasant to read, very instructive on the development of the cultural influence of Brittany, on the difficulties at the beginning, between the Jacobinism of decision-makers and the traditionalism of folklore, to open a third path, a Breton Of culture, the surviving Celtic, is currently fully registered.

On the eve of a new edition of the festival… 50th! Get yourself this exquisite mural by this passionate and engaging writer and cultural actor who has made a huge contribution to the climax of contemporary Celtic.

To better understand the contents of the book and the intentions of the author, we suggest you find a summary of the book below.

Gerard Simon

Voice image of the page: Presentation of the Festival Interceltic de Lorient – quote 00:59.

Editing of the soundtrack by Gerard Simon:

– Voice over and music from the DVD Festival Interceltic de Lorient,

“The Best Moments of the 1999/2000/2001 Festivals”.

– Voice Jean-Pierre Pichard – Festival Interceltic 2000, interview with FIL director Jean-Pierre Pichard, by Alain Duault for France 3 Bretagne.

Summary of the book “Phil – The Interceltic Festival of Lorient

– A great human adventure”.

.

– Preface.

– The history of the Celtic peoples and the development of cultures in Brittany.

– A hint of the history of the Celts.

– Short overview.

– Cultural peculiarities of Brittany.

– Bugdos are getting organized.

– Breton youth open to other influences.

– from the Brest Bagpipe Festival to the Lorient Interceltic Festival (1970-1990).

– The Bagpipe Festival changes its home port.

– First three tracks for the Lorient Festival

– First Edition.

– Carry ears on people!

– Players enter the arena, Celts from the South deploy their bagpipes.

– Graphic arts and plastic arts find their capital.

– Kingpin.

– An interceltic festival of creations.

– 1980s, rich and creative.

– The Irish took over the creation.

– Golf is coming to the festival.

– A new team of astonishing volunteers.

– The birth of a Celtic village.

– Compositions, over and over again.

– From Lorient to the Champs Elysees (1990~2007).

Each decade has its own guidelines and objectives.

– Assembly of Paris and France.

– Birth of St. Patrick’s Day.

– 1990s in Lorient.

– Multiplication of competitions.

– Reinforcement of various expressions.

– A Wind of the Far West at Festival.

– The Festival continues its search for creations and talents.

– A much-loved festival, but of little help.

Big change in the presidency.

– Festival is underway and recruiting.

– 1999’s year of total eclipse madness and Britney.

– New Chained Presidency.

– A nomadic festival.

– Brittany victory on the lawn of the Stade de France

– The birth of I3C.

– back to base.

– New route along the scene and in the stadiums.

– Canavo Pierrot.

– The program must go on !

– From St. Patrick’s Day to the Burns Supper.

Succession problem.

– My last festival as General Manager.

– The arrival of the fifth president.

– After the river dance?

– Rumor.

– Festival on the new track (2008 …).

– A celebration centered on Lorient.

– 2008-2009.

– The second decade of the century.

– Guy Gestin, the new president of FIL.

– All future possibilities exist for FIL.

– Thank you.

– Photographic credits.

Reference: 346666.

Publisher: Cop Breeze.

Author: Jean-Pierre Pichard.

Presentation paperback with flap.

Number of pages: 192.

Dimensions: 22 x 28 cm.

EAN: 9782843466663.

© Culture & Celtie