t from noting that a lot of people go to see it (35,000 there last night) and that watching football in the snow is cold, what most stood out was the unexpected relationship between football and the performing arts. Now this may just sound like pretentious rubbish, and fair enough, it might well be, but aside from the link between football and theatre (all footballers appearing to be thwarted actors specialising in faking crippling pain, particularly those members of the Bordeaux team who added at least three extra somersaults to every fall, lay on the ground for AGES, pretended to limp round in agony, before being able to run around an entire football pitch at top speed, fit as a fiddle (Oh yes, am already bitter that Lyon lost, I was promised a win: Lyon always wins)), there really was a lot of music at last night's match. People were singing/roaring (not really shouting) for the best part of the match, led by the crazy chanting guy, and getting through at least 10-15 different football chants. I'm sure there's nothing strange about that, but out of the blue, on top of the usual range of football chant "tunes", the Olympique Lyonnais supporters seem to have a whole repertoire based on classical music, in particular Carmen and Dvorak's New World Symphony! And it appears that, although I can't find any mention of classically based football chants on trusty wikipedia (though I did discover that England has a "Chant Laureate", Jonny Hurst. I didn't know that before), I'm not going mad. Today I saw a poster, advertising this, a deal to see OL playing and a concert by the Orchestre National de Lyon
for just TWENTY euros! Bargain! Apparently the scheme's been running for three years already, trying to bring in new audiences for both football matches and orchestral concerts. Be interesting to know if it works, and what people think of the venture, and whether the orchestral programmes last year included Bizet and Dvorak?! Cos, if so, next year's football chants are predicted to be a bit less singable as the upcoming concerts include Debussy's Jeux (not that chantable) and, even less promising for football chant material, music by twenty-first century spectralist composer Marc-André Dalbavie. Could be interesting.Anyway, with these few thoughts I will now sign off, your newly converted football supporter. Take close note of this post however, as I fear those of you in England may never hear of my new-found like again. I doubt I'd remain alive for long if I admitted I discovered football in France!
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