June 16, 2007

Concert at St. Roch

One of my new neighbors, from Ukraine, suggested that I should attend a concert at the St. Roch church Thursday night this week. Of course I wanted to; I really like to listen to orthodox and Gregorian music and there were five groups performing. At the end all groups joined for some common singing (photo)! Just fantastic! (… and free of charge.) I really enjoyed it!


The St.Roch church has also some history and it’s especially known for an event which took place in 1795, when Napoleon led a troop which killed some 200 “royalist rioters” on the 13 steps leading to the church. This is known as the “Whiff of Grapeshot”. This was actually considered as a big step on his way to becoming Emperor. You can still see some signs of the battle on the church facade.

9 comments:

hpy said...

There is so much to do in Paris!

lyliane six said...

Ou se trouve cette église, est ce dans la rue St Honoré? Cela devait être très beau, car les chants des pays de l'est me rappellent ceux que j'ai entendu en Russie dans des monastères.A l'assemblée générale de notre chorale le 28 juin, je vais suggérer le jumelage de chorales, comme celui des villes, peut être pourrons nous aller chanter là bas? ta voisine pourras peut être me donner leurs coordonnées.

Kunterbunt said...

Fine that you have had a nice evening listening to that music. And at the same time you provide us with some photos and some pieces of information.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed reading your post today and the photographs were nice to see.

Abraham Lincoln
Brookville Daily Photo

Anonymous said...

Oh Peter!! St. Roch!

My first visit to Paris in 1975 was on study abroad, and I barely connected with the city for the 3 days we were there.

But in 1997, when my sister and I went for two weeks after our mother died of Alzheimer's, the city became an important place for me.

On that visit we stayed one week in the hotel St. Roch, which was across the narrow rue from this church. The hotel wasn't posh (in fact some call it St. Roach), but I will never regret staying there, because every evening when we stumbled home on weary legs (after resting in the Tuilleries, just a couple blocks away), there was always something happening at St. Roch church. Sometimes priests and altar boys dressed up on the stairs. But usually there was something musical floating out of the windows, either organ practice or choir concerts or practice. We would walk up to our room, undress, fall into bed and to sleep to the most heavenly music wafting over from the church windows the short distance across the little street and through our open windows. You've revived wonderful memories. Thank you!

And yes, I saw the bullet holes in the walls and steps from Napolean's soldiers!

Anonymous said...

BTW, the Hotel St. Roch is on rue St. Roch, in case you were wondering.

Cuckoo said...

Oh as usual so many good posts with such nice pictures. Don't know where to comment. :)

How could I miss St Roch ?
Thanks for sharing it.

I am in the middle of my two trips.

Peter said...

lyliane:
Oui, c'est bien rue St. Honoré. Tu fais tes magasins du mode habituels (rue de Faubourg St.Honoré), tu traverses la rue de la Paix, et tu y es!

ruth:
I'm happy that this post reminded you of a nice moment! You are right; St. Roch is a church where a lot of concerts are given, art exhibitions take place and there are a lot of things collected from here and there to see!

It's not one of the churches you would find easily on a trip to Paris (rue St.Honoré) and perhaps not the most spectacular one, but it's worth interest for its history and for the activities going on.

cuckoo:
Anxioulsy waiting for your post(s) about Vietnam, one of my favourite countries, as you may have understood from my post June 15!

Shionge said...

This is wonderful, did you get some inspiration after the concert :D