{"id":1053,"date":"2026-08-24T22:08:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T22:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/?p=1053"},"modified":"2026-08-24T22:24:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T22:24:32","slug":"handbell-france-festival-2027-pourquoi-comment-handbell-france-festival-2027-why-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/?p=1053","title":{"rendered":"Handbell France Festival 2027, pourquoi, comment…. \/ Handbell France Festival 2027: why, how\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Pour mieux comprendre l’origine et l’importance de ce festival en France, discutons avec sa fondatrice. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Mathilde, pouvez-vous nous pr\u00e9senter le projet Handbell France Festival 2027 ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ce projet est n\u00e9 de la volont\u00e9 de partager la pratique des handbells<\/em> (litt\u00e9ralement \u00ab\u00a0cloche \u00e0 main\u00a0\u00bb en langue fran\u00e7aise). Tr\u00e8s connue et populaire dans les pays anglo-saxons, cette pratique, pourtant innovante et extraordinaire, est m\u00e9connue voire m\u00eame inconnue en France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depuis les ann\u00e9es 1980, le seul lieu en France o\u00f9 il y a une activit\u00e9 r\u00e9guli\u00e8re est l’\u00e9glise am\u00e9ricaine de Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quelques ensembles se sont cr\u00e9\u00e9s sur le territoire, mais leur activit\u00e9 est trop sporadique pour qu’une communaut\u00e9 musicale se soit cr\u00e9\u00e9e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L’id\u00e9e est de cr\u00e9er un festival de qualit\u00e9 qui devienne un rendez-vous r\u00e9gulier, ainsi qu’une communaut\u00e9 de musiciens pour d\u00e9velopper la pratique des handbells<\/em> aussi bien dans les \u00e9coles que dans le monde musical amateur et professionnel. Il existe en France une multitude de choeurs, d’orchestres, de fanfares, de brass band ou autres formations, pourquoi pas des handbells<\/em> ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alors, comment s’organisera ce Festival en 2027 ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pour proposer un concert de qualit\u00e9 et montrer au public fran\u00e7ais ce que nous sommes capables de jouer avec des handbells, je me suis inspir\u00e9e des festivals et workshop auxquels j’ai eu la chance de participer au cours des quinze derni\u00e8res ann\u00e9es, principalement aux Etats-Unis et en Angleterre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Il s’agit de proposer un \u00e9v\u00e9nement de quatre jours, du mardi au vendredi, et d’inviter un chef reconnu dans la discipline. J’ai eu beaucoup de chance : le chef invit\u00e9 en 2027 a \u00e9t\u00e9 enthousiaste tout de suite (merci Jason !). Le programme musical est d\u00e9fini plusieurs mois \u00e0 l’avance. Les musiciens inscrits sont r\u00e9partis en deux ch\u0153urs, ils pr\u00e9parent leurs parties avant de venir, et le travail commun d\u00e9bute d\u00e8s les premi\u00e8res r\u00e9p\u00e9titions. Les journ\u00e9es sont organis\u00e9es entre r\u00e9p\u00e9titions et d\u00e9couvertes aussi bien touristiques que gastronomiques fran\u00e7aises. Les musiciens viennent offrir au public fran\u00e7ais un concert unique, nous leur proposons chaque jour des interm\u00e8des pour lesquels est r\u00e9put\u00e9e la France, et nous avons la chance \u00e0 Douai d’avoir quelques p\u00e9pites patrimoniales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Il s’agit aussi de s’adapter au public et de proposer quelques \u0153uvres musicales a priori connues en France. Alors pour enrichir le r\u00e9pertoire pour handbells,<\/em> j’ai choisi un chef qui est aussi un compositeur de renom. Il \u00e9crira une pi\u00e8ce \u00ab\u00a0sp\u00e9cial France\u00a0\u00bb qui sera jou\u00e9e en premi\u00e8re mondiale pour ce festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pourquoi avoir choisi la ville de Douai comme lieu pour ce festival en 2027 ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Douai est id\u00e9alement accessible du monde entier : \u00e0 moins de deux heures en train de la capitale, Paris, mais aussi \u00e0 trente minutes environ de la capitale des Flandres (Lille) ou \u00e0 moins de deux heures de Bruxelles en Belgique, et proche \u00e9galement d’Amsterdam aux Pays-Bas et de Londres au Royaume-Uni. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Une fois sur place, il est possible de se loger \u00e0 un tarif respectable dans des h\u00f4tels ou des chambres d’h\u00f4tes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le conservatoire, o\u00f9 auront lieu r\u00e9p\u00e9titions et concert, est en plein centre-ville. Tout est \u00e0 distance de marche d’environ dix \u00e0 vingt minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La ville de Douai a \u00e9galement un lien s\u00e9culaire tr\u00e8s \u00e9troit avec l’Angleterre, et les handbells<\/em> sont n\u00e9es en Angleterre \u00e0 la fin du 17e si\u00e8cle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enfin c’est une ville o\u00f9 la tradition musicale est tr\u00e8s pr\u00e9sente : Henri Dutilleux, compositeur fran\u00e7ais, a fait ses \u00e9tudes au conservatoire de Douai, d’ailleurs l’auditorium o\u00f9 se d\u00e9roulera le concert porte son nom. La tradition campanaire y est inscrite depuis la fin du 14e si\u00e8cle avec le carillon, alors pourquoi pas y amener une autre tradition campanaire ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Une derni\u00e8re chose \u00e0 nous partager ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relier le monde gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la musique est le leitmotiv parfait des handbells<\/em>. Participer \u00e0 ce festival, c’est aussi et surtout contribuer \u00e0 la cr\u00e9ation d’une communaut\u00e9 de musiciens autour d’un instrument extraordinaire. C’est cr\u00e9er une nouvelle aventure musicale dans un autre pays, partager, et d\u00e9montrer que la musique permet tous les possibles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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To better understand the origin and importance of this festival in France, let’s speak with its founder.<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Mathilde, could you introduce the Handbell France Festival 2027 project to us?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project was born from the desire to share the practice of handbells (literally \u00ab\u00a0cloche \u00e0 main\u00a0\u00bb in French). Very well known and popular in Anglo-Saxon countries, this practice, although innovative and extraordinary, is very unfamiliar in France.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the 1980s, the only place in France with regular activity is the American Church in Paris.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few ensembles have formed in the country, but their activity is too sporadic for a musical community to have developed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea is to create a high-quality festival that becomes a regular event, as well as a community of musicians to share handbell playing in schools and across the amateur and professional music worlds. France has a multitude of choirs, orchestras, wind bands, brass bands, and other ensembles, so why not handbells?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how will this festival be organized in 2027?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To present a high-quality concert and show the French public what we are able of playing on handbells, I drew inspiration from the festivals and workshops I have had the opportunity to attend over the past fifteen years, primarily in the United States and England.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea is to host a four-day event\u2014running from Tuesday to Friday\u2014featuring a renowned guest conductor in the field. I was very lucky: the guest conductor for 2027 was enthusiastic right from the start (thanks, Jason!). The musical program is finalized several months in advance. Registered musicians are divided into two choirs; they prepare their parts<\/em> \u00ab\u00a0at home\u00a0\u00bb, and collaborative work begins with the very first rehearsals. The days are structured around rehearsals and opportunities to discover French culture, including both sightseeing and gastronomy. The musicians perform a unique concert for the French audience, and we treat them daily to the kind of interludes for which France is famous\u2014plus, in Douai, we are fortunate enough to have some real heritage gems.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also a matter of adapting to the audience and presenting musical works that are likely to be familiar in France. So, to add something French to the handbell repertoire, I have chosen a conductor who is also a renowned composer. He will write a \u00ab\u00a0France-themed\u00a0\u00bb piece that will receive its world premiere at this festival.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why was the city of Douai chosen as the location for this festival in 2027?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Douai is easily accessible from all over the world: it is less than two hours by train from the capital, Paris, about thirty minutes from the capital of Flanders (Lille), and less than two hours from Brussels, Belgium; it is also close to Amsterdam in the Netherlands and London in the United Kingdom.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once there, it is possible to find reasonably priced accommodation in hotels or guesthouses.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conservatory, where the rehearsals and concert will take place, is in downtown. Everything is within a ten to twenty-minute walk.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city of Douai also has a very close, centuries-old connection with England, and handbells originated in England in the late 17th century.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, it is a city with a strong musical tradition: the French composer Henri Dutilleux studied at the Douai Conservatory\u2014in fact, the auditorium where the concert will take place bears his name. The city has had a tradition of bell-ringing\u2014specifically carillon music\u2014since the late 14th century, so why not introduce another bell-ringing tradition as well?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anything else you’d like to share with us?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bridging the world though the music is a wonderful handbell leitmotiv. Taking part in this festival means\u2014above all\u2014contributing to the creation of a community of ringers centered around an extraordinary instrument. It is about creating a new musical adventure in another country, sharing, and demonstrating that music makes anything possible.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pour mieux comprendre l’origine et l’importance de ce festival en France, discutons avec sa fondatrice. Mathilde, pouvez-vous nous pr\u00e9senter le projet Handbell France Festival 2027 ? Ce projet est n\u00e9 de la volont\u00e9 de partager la pratique des handbells (litt\u00e9ralement \u00ab\u00a0cloche \u00e0 main\u00a0\u00bb en langue fran\u00e7aise). Tr\u00e8s connue et populaire dans les pays anglo-saxons, cette […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Admin Admin","author_link":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/?author=2"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Pour mieux comprendre l’origine et l’importance de ce festival en France, discutons avec sa fondatrice. Mathilde, pouvez-vous nous pr\u00e9senter le projet Handbell France Festival 2027 ? Ce projet est n\u00e9 de la volont\u00e9 de partager la pratique des handbells (litt\u00e9ralement \u00ab\u00a0cloche \u00e0 main\u00a0\u00bb en langue fran\u00e7aise). Tr\u00e8s connue et populaire dans les pays anglo-saxons, cette\u2026","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1053"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1053\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1057,"href":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1053\/revisions\/1057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handbellfrance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}