Méli-Mélodies Choral Festival

The Méli-Mélodies Festival: The celebration of choral singing in Vendée

The Méli-Mélodies Festival is an annual choral singing event organized by La Caldarane, a vocal ensemble founded over twenty-five years ago in Pouzauges, Vendée. Composed of about 70 choristers from surrounding towns and directed by Inna Alcover, La Caldarane invites several amateur choirs from the region each year to perform together on the stage of the Salle de l'Échiquier, the cultural center of the Pays de Pouzauges.

An afternoon dedicated to vocal sharing

The principle of the festival is simple and warm: during an afternoon, three to four amateur vocal ensembles take turns on stage to present their repertoire to the public. Each choir has a performance time to share the pieces they have worked on throughout the year. The styles are varied: French songs, variety music, sacred music, world music, or even classical polyphonies. The festival traditionally concludes with a joint song bringing all the choristers together on stage, a highly emotional moment that symbolizes the fraternity of choral singing.

Choirs from the Vendée bocage in the spotlight

Over the years, the Méli-Mélodies Festival has hosted numerous choirs from Vendée and neighboring departments: A Not'Portée from La Chapelle-Achard, ChanteSèvre from Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, Volubilis from Chanverrie, Romavoix, Chœur en Ballade from Vouvant, or Arpège. This diversity demonstrates the vitality of the amateur choral movement in the Vendée bocage.

A friendly and accessible event

Free and open to all, the Méli-Mélodies Festival is aimed at both choral music enthusiasts and the curious wishing to discover this vocal art. The atmosphere is family-friendly and relaxed, far from the codes of a classical concert. It is above all a joyful celebration of the pleasure of singing together, driven by passionate volunteers and a loyal audience.