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The project in a few words
The “Eiffel” project was born from a meeting initiated by the Villecroze Music Academy (AMV), on October 7, 2021, bringing together the Institut de France and the General Directorate of School Education.
The Ministry of National Education, France Mémoire, as well as Radio France and the National Federation of School Choirs (FNCS) have supported the musical piece by Lise and Cécile Borel Mon cher Gustave, commissioned by the Académie Musicale de Villecroze as part of this project and celebrating Gustave Eiffel's life and works, on the occasion of his death centenary.
The FNCS created the French National Children Choir (CAEN) for this occasion. For its first session, in November 2023, it was made up of 46 singers aged 11 to 15, and from 23 of the 30 Educational Academies across the national territory. Each is represented by two students from the same school - a girl and a boy, following optional choral singing lessons, chosen and trained by their music education teacher. The 23 teachers, key pieces of the project, participated in a training course in Villecroze in spring 2023, offered by the AMV, to get to grips with Mon Cher Gustave. Each one of them will also create the piece in their own school : in May and June 2024, we already expect 23 Mon cher Gustave throughout France!
From now on, the resources (scores, audios, educational documents, etc.) are available to all teachers free of charge on the VOX website.
Access Mon cher Gustave resources
We wish Mon cher Gustave a long life in all classes in France!
The CAEN in Paris
After discovering and working on Mon cher Gustave in Villecroze in April 2023, and after choosing and training two students from their Academy, the 23 musical education teachers of the project met with their 46 students in Paris for a week of training from October 31 to November 7, 2023, under the direction of Marie-Noëlle Maerten.
On Friday, November 3, the middle school students from the French National Children Choir and their teachers were received at the Institut de France, partner of the project, to visit the institution and its famous Dome, and perform some extracts from the musical piece in the Bettencourt auditorium.
They also had the pleasure of attending a fascinating presentation by Academician Mr. Pierre-Antoine Gatier, chief architect of French historic monuments and in charge of the Eiffel Tower's 20th renovation project.
In the end, on the morning of their big concert, the students and their teachers climbed all the floors of the famous Eiffel Tower, before performing a few songs again, at the base of the Tower, for the pleasure of all visitors of the great Lady of Paris.
Concert at Radio France
The week in Paris for the teens of the French National Children Choir was crowned by the exceptional concert they gave on Tuesday November 7, 2023 at 8 p.m. in studio 104 of the Maison de la Radio et de la Musique in Paris. The CAEN joined the Maîtrise of Radio France, under the direction of Sofi Jeannin, for the premiere of the musical piece by Lise Borel and Cécile Borel. The show was really appreciated by the 700 people in the audience, as well as by more than 800 people who followed it live on the Vox Ma Chorale YouTube channel.
Watch the replay on VOX Youtube channel
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