At the end of the day, they are only four to be present for the weekly rehearsal. This Sunday, the brass band of Montiers-sur-Saulx (Meuse) will perform in front of the village war memorial to commemorate May 8, 1945.
In the classroom of the old village school, Firmin, the youngest member of the band, is 13 years old. He is accompanied by Jean-Paul, 77, Jean-Marc, in his fifties, and Fernand, the 36-year-old director.
When it fills up with its musicians, the brass band brings together about fifteen people. Year after year, the number of members decreases: “In my time, when I was young, we were about fifty in the marching band“, recalls Jean-Paul. All the young people of the village were part of the marching band. From now on, we find it difficult to be fifteen.”
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Like so many other brass bands throughout France, that of Montiers-sur-Saulx is struggling to recruit new musicians. Firmin, son and grandson of musicians, trumpeter, for example never managed to bring his friends from college into the marching band.
“For my college friends, it’s an activity of old people with old people.”
Firmin, 13-year-old fanfaristat franceinfo
“It’s not a youth activity, according to my college friends“, says Firmin.”We should be more up to datecontinues Jean-Paul. We’re out of fashion, maybe we’re too cheesy.“
Last year, the band of Montiers-sur-Saulx performed twelve times. For Sainte-Cécile, the patron saint of musicians, but also for national commemorations. At each outing, it is Fernand Guillemin who leads the group. “In villages like ours, having a local fanfare to animate the ceremonies of May 8 and November 11, it sets the mood, defend the manager. A marching band is a local story.“
The Montiers-sur-Saulx brass band are struggling to recruit: the report by Sébastien Baer
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