Festival of Saint Vincent

Wine just for the day!

Saint Vincent is the patron saint of the vintners, and today we celebrated his festival day.  He was tortured by being pressed, thus the connection between him and the grapes/wine.  Today the city fathers and all of the major "confederations"-  the clubs or organizations dedicated to things gastronomic, met to celebrate their passions and ask for Divine blessing on the upcoming season.  In an occupation as risky as agriculture, help is asked for from all quarters in order to stay afloat.

The morning was full of color and personalities.  There were the groups themselves, arrayed in robes and chains and medallions.  

The Confreres of Castlenaudary-- home of cassoulet.  Their medalions are little terra cotta cassoles

There were local heads of the branches of government dealing with agriculture.  News media--print reporters and tv stations were photographing the action. A local theater troupe provided some conceptual "pieces." There were some tourists, of course, and people like me who live here and wanted to see the spectacle.  What I most liked was that while tourists were welcome, this wasn't being done for their benefit.  These people were having this for themselves; and it really didn't matter whether or not others watched or took part.  They were not putting on a show for anyone's benefit but their own.  

Yes, they do play with their backs to the audience...

I heard that the guys playing the French horns were the local chasseurs  the hunting club. I wanted to ask someone if being able to play the valve-less French horn was as much a requirement as being able to shoot. And I am going to get the answer, but just not today.  They were the leaders, and announced the start and movement on to the next stop with wonderful fanfares in multi-part harmony.  They looked good, too.  

The black robes and hats are the truffle confederation

I have lots of photos of the robes, and the costumes and the music.  We went from the cloisters of the art museum through the pedestrian streets of the bastide, stopping at local points of interest having some connection with food. 

Inside the Cercle Taurian Carcassonne

 My favorite place, and one I probably never would have set foot inside of was the Cercle Taurian Carcassonne---a club dedicated to  bullfighting culture.  The club members had set up open bottles of wine and had some food and in there is where the best singing took place.  There was an Occitan folksong (I can recognize the language now) and the hunters group sang something in masculine 4-part harmony.  

The corks are NOT going back in these bottles!

I had a little glass of delicious white wine--and before noon. How decadent!

Confederation of vintners...

The point of the walk through the streets was to get to Saint Vincent's church, where the wine was blessed.  With a proper sermon from the priest as well. There was a double meaning not lost on anyone, even me, when the priest finished blessing the wind, took a drink and pronounced it "good." 

The wine is blessed as "bon."

Probably not going to see this on the altar steps in Brookings.

The French horns played several fanfares inside the cathedral--I thought my heart would stop. The organist gave a little recital as part of the festivities Pieces by J S  Bach, Alexandre Guilmant, and Charles Widor made up the concert, and not one person moved a muscle or got up to leave.

Set up for lunch at Halles Prosper Montagne

 From Saint Vincent's the procession made its way to the hall in Carcassonne which is being dedicated to Prosper Montagne, a Carcassonnais gourmand who wrote and promoted gastronomy during the last century.  There was going to be a meal for nearly 500 people; and they had the place all set up for their guests. I don't know what was on the menu, but it wouldn't surprise me to see truffles and cassoulet. It was too pricey for me--I came back home for my own leftover boeuf bourguignon.  Yum.

 Tomorrow, the chef(s) take over.

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