Wines and songs for 1907

As a prelude to the entertainment given by the “Chiffon Rouge” choir, a tasting session of the best wines and other local produces was offered by the wine growers and producers from Bize-Minervois.

An hour before the show, the estates of Monastrel, Château Belvize, Loup Blanc, Château Le Vergel, Clos du Soleil, St Michel Archange, as well as M. et Mme Olivier Fabre, Virginie Fabre and the president of the cooperative cave of Argeliers welcomed the public.

This event was accompanied by the town council of Bize-Minervois which joined in those meetings: the commemoration of the 1907 events and the showing off of the village producers’ skills and passion of the craft. This will to link wine history to the present production, respecting the traditions, was very successful. Over 200 persons from Bize and its area, from Narbonne and even farther, took part in this gathering.

 

The “Chiffon Rouge” choir of Narbonne presented an entertainment entitled “Volem Viure”. It was a visual and vocal show, staged by professionals, during which the audience could admire great human frescoes. Those frescoes, forged and forged again throughout the show, restored a historical panorama dedicated to the memory of the Midi.

From 1907 up to the present day, it is “a story of men and women who have risen up many a time to claim the right to live on their lands and to make a living from them, rejecting the economic logics which had condemned them”.

Accompanied on two accordions, a violin and a double bass, about forty male and female singers performed songs of solidarity by those who didn’t resign themselves. The revolt of 1907 with Marcelin Albert and the 87 followers from Argeliers, the great gatherings in Lézignan, Narbonne, Béziers, Carcassonne, Nîmes and Montpellier... the crises of 1930, 1953, 1967, from 1971 to 1976, 2005 and 2006. “En avant, gueux de la vigne!”, the occitan carmagnole, “L’Internationale du vin”, “debout, compagnons de misère”…

Throughout the entertainment and in numerous anecdotes which passed through time, a speaker has talked about poverty, once again, the demonstrations, the support of the population and mayors, the life of the wine world in crisis. Those engaged songs and texts were performed with heart and delivered an unequivocal message:

The economic death of the wine growers from Languedoc, as well as that of farmers from Africa, Latin America or from anywhere else is still planned in a world which didn’t allow any room for small producers.

The actors (who performed in front of a packed room) were given an ovation. The friendly drink was the occasion both for the choir and the audience to break into other songs.