What is the fête de la musique?
It’s the day – it’s now a firm fixture – when musicians, whether they’re amateurs or professionals, can play wherever they want at any time, day or night. They might choose a station concourse, a school playground, the inside of a cathedral or church, a café, the steps of a town hall, historic building or prefecture, a passage-way, a prison and so on. Amateurs, often nervous when they have to sing or play an instrument in public, have the chance to play freely without feeling self-conscious. What’s more, the festival isn’t a financial burden on the Ministry of Culture or regional and municipal authorities. All it requires is a poster, a list of venues across France, information available by phone or on the Internet, the suspension of royalties for the day, and an increase in the number of commuter train, and bus and underground services running until dawn. Audiences have heard some unique concerts: carte vermeille [similar to the British senior citizens rail card] holders singing Pales
