Big sounds and little thunderstorms: Hausach Wind Orchestra delights in Arbois

Arbois in September 2024: A trip you won't soon forget: The Wind Orchestra provided more than just musical highlights at the Biou Festival in Arbois on the first weekend of September. It's easy to anticipate that everything revolved around wine, friendship, and a little rain.

A festival with history

The Biou Festival, which takes place every year on the first Sunday in September, is organized by the winegrowers of Arbois. They honor their long winemaking tradition with a very special form of harvest festival. Traditionally, the festival is also combined with a memorial ceremony for the victims of the two World Wars, which takes place at the memorial. This year, the festival was marked by a special significance: the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Arbois from German occupation. For this special occasion, the Wind Orchestra was invited to provide musical accompaniment for the official ceremony.

A touch of international understanding

On Saturday, several representatives of the town, the Friends of the Partnership, and a handful of musicians traveled to Arbois to get in the mood for the big event. After a cozy dinner together, which naturally included regional wines, the evening ended in a relaxed atmosphere. The majority of the musicians followed on Sunday morning and were warmly welcomed at the Maison Pasteur. After a brief greeting from the President of the French Partnership Association, Bernard Lambert, the traditional procession began from the Pasteur House to the "Monument des morts" memorial. There, the Wind Orchestra, under the direction of Ralf Keil, played the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise," to conclude the solemn commemoration ceremony – striking a chorus that truly touched the hearts of the French hosts.

Thunder and storms of enthusiasm

After an aperitif in front of St. Just Church, sponsored by the winegrowers from Arbois, a communal lunch followed in the "Salle des Fêtes." However, the concert planned for the following evening at the Pasteur Memorial had to be moved to the small hall beneath the "Salle des Fêtes" due to a sudden thunderstorm. But here, too, the Wind Orchestra showed what it's made of: for an hour, they entertained the audience, which had turned out in large numbers despite the change in weather, with a varied concert program. The grand finale featured the hymns "Hoch Badnerland" and "La Marseillaise" again, which literally brought the French hosts to their feet. The enthusiasm knew no bounds, and the town band was bid farewell with thunderous applause. Mayor Hermann and the mayoress of Arbois, Valérie Depierre, also offered fitting words of thanks before the German guests departed.