Music after the rain

The earth moved in Prévessin on 29 July. This was not an earthquake but an 'international' music event, the seventeenth CERN Hardronic Festival, which saw musicians from many different countries, including Russia, Britain, Spain, France, Belgium and the USA, take to the stage. The audience rocked to music from eight different groups until the early hours. About a thousand people flocked to CERN to hear what the best of its musical talents had to offer.

The evening was very nearly a wash-out, though. After a week of scorching hot temperatures, the heavens suddenly opened and the rain didn't stop until a few minutes before the first act came on stage. Thanks to this narrow escape, the organisers can boast a 17-year run of rain-free Hardronic festivals.

All the different musical styles were given a warm reception, from traditional Russian folk singing with a salsa/hard-metal flavour to rock and French ballad. The local semi-professional singer Sand brought a note of tenderness and humour with texts and music reminiscent of Bénabar and Jeanne Cherhal.

The Hadronic Festival, which called on the services of around thirty people for the evening, is an event organised by the CERN MusiClub and Softball Club with the support of the Staff Association. This year, for the first time, each group was presented with a DVD of the Festival at the end of the evening.