Musique au bois

Musique au bois: Classical Music in the Heart of the Picardy Countryside

The Musique au bois festival was born in 2010 from a simple yet ambitious dream: that of young Picardy musicians who wanted to create a classical music festival in a rural setting, far from large concert halls and cultural metropolises. They chose Creuse, a small village in the Somme located between Abbeville and Amiens, where the Grange de la Ferme d'Antan offered an ideal setting for intimate concerts combining acoustic quality and rural charm.

The Grange de la Ferme d'Antan: A Unique Musical Haven

The venue that hosts Musique au bois is an experience in itself. The Grange de la Ferme d'Antan is a traditional Picardy rural building, with its brick walls and exposed beams, which has been adapted to host concerts with remarkable acoustics. The atmosphere is incomparable: spectators are seated just a few meters from the musicians, in a proximity that transforms each concert into a privileged moment of sharing.

This rustic and authentic setting gives classical works a particular resonance. Listening to a string quartet, a piano recital, or a chamber music ensemble in a Picardy barn is to rediscover music in its most human and warmest dimension, stripped of the codes and conventions of traditional concert halls.

A Kaleidoscopic Program

The Musique au bois program is intended to be a musical kaleidoscope, a prism through which the public can experience all the colors and sensations that music can offer. The classical repertoire—from Bach to Debussy, from Beethoven to Ravel—forms the foundation of each edition, but the festival also opens up to jazz, world music, and hybrid forms that blur the lines between genres.

Concerts with humorous commentary make classical music accessible to newcomers, while more daring ensembles—such as a jazz quartet with West Coast colors—surprise regulars. The festival invites high-level professional musicians, often from national conservatories and orchestras, who find in Creuse a space for artistic freedom and encounters with a curious and attentive audience.

Conviviality and Countryside Spirit

Musique au bois cultivates a spirit of conviviality that makes it unique. The festival offers moments of sharing beyond the concerts: the traditional Sunday evening barbecue, held outdoors in the farm's garden, is a highly anticipated event where musicians and spectators gather for a drink and a barbecue in a festive and relaxed atmosphere. Free concerts punctuate each edition, confirming the festival's commitment to remaining accessible and open to all.

This alliance between musical excellence and rural simplicity makes Musique au bois a unique event in the cultural landscape of the Somme, a festival that proves that great music can find its place anywhere, even in the most modest villages of the Picardy countryside.