Venues & stages
Harmonie de Saint-Légier
- Type
- Wind band (harmonie)
- Address
- Aula de Clos-Béguin, Saint-Légier
The Saint-Légier music society was founded on 1 May 1903. First a small village band, it became a wind band, twice Vaud champion in the 3rd category (2013 and 2018). It takes part regularly in the federal and cantonal music festivals and in local events, and rehearses on Wednesday evenings at the Aula de Clos-Béguin in Saint-Légier.
The Harmonie of Saint-Légier
1903: eight musicians in a laundry room
On 1 May 1903, on the initiative of Louis Dupraz-Genton, supported by the Guex brothers and a few friends, a music society of eight musicians formed in Saint-Légier. Rehearsals took place in Louis Dupraz’s laundry room, he being also conductor and secretary: the musicians sat on a plank and each in turn brought a can of kerosene for lighting. So it went until 1906, when the commune provided a room at the Chiésaz school.
A century of festivals and music
Over time, the society played for village dances, took part in 1913 in the international competition of La Chaux-de-Fonds (borrowing uniforms and flag, having none of its own), joined the cantonal association of Vaud bands in 1919, organised the Fête des musiques de l’Est in 1935 and saw the birth of the Giron des Musiques de la Veveyse in 1947. It celebrated its hundredth anniversary in 2003.
More recently, it took its audience to Scotland with the Lausanne Pipe Band (2010) and performed live the music of the film “Le Trésor du Léman”, a creation by Théo Schmitt (2019). It won two Vaud champion titles in the 3rd wind-band category, at Savigny (2013) and in the Vallée de Joux (2018). It now rehearses on Wednesdays at 8 pm, at the Aula de Clos-Béguin.