“Inhale and relax your shoulders. Soprano Johanne Cassar details the warm-up to a dozen young men perched on bleachers. On the platform, opposite, musical instruments, percussion and an upright piano which Emmanuel Christien took possession of. The auditorium, a large rectangular room with high windows blocked by heavy black curtains, is lit only by tired and pale neon lights, creating a light worthy of a penitentiary centre. Which is good since it is the old chapel of the prison of Fresnes (Val-de-Marne) and the apprentice singers are also prisoners. “Now, we do three short “ch” and “one” long ch”, asks Johanne Cassar.
It is the soprano who is at the origin of this project entitled musical imprint. “I have already carried out a similar project at the Fleury-Mérogis women’s prison, she says. It was a great experience that we wanted to repeat with men in Fresnes. This atypical project is therefore supported by the Coloratura association, of which the soprano is the artistic director, and by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, which sends a different musician to each session. At last, musical imprint has the support of the art explore foundation and of course that of the penitentiary administration which has the upper hand on the multiple necessary authorizations. Launched last December with an air gap in January due to Covid-19, the project consists of a weekly workshop of around two hours with the aim of a concert in Fresnes on April 5 and a recording two days later.
And this Monday afternoon, 15 days before the concert, the rehearsal is in full swing. Under the natural authority of Johanne, the apprentice singers sing the famous Va Pensiero by Giuseppe Verdi, accompanied by Emmanuel on the piano. “Yes, I know it’s not easy, because it’s not your language,” encourages the soprano. Even if everything is not perfect, the chorus takes shape and the emotion is gradually transmitted. The atmosphere is no less relaxed, with a lot of laughs. “It was a bit of a mess at first,” concedes Johanne. “They reacted hotly, live, while we were playing, when we are more used to it being at the end”, adds Jérémie Maillard, cellist at the Radio France orchestra and in charge of organizing the arrival of colleagues. This was also the goal of this project: “To bring together two worlds that did not know each other at all, detention and classical music”, specifies the singer.
“Be pro guys”
And it is certain that among the participants, very few had been in contact with classical music. “Before coming here, I didn’t know anything at all,” says Walid, an urban music lover and big fan of Jul. “I never listen to classical music”, confirms A., black cap screwed on the head. Most of the young men present landed there because they wrote to the penitentiary services for integration and probation (SPIP) to participate in cultural activities, without knowing exactly what was going on.
“It was funny, it was a discovery”, confirms A., while Max, a big man with a golden tooth, admits to having been “shocked”: “We’re not used to it but it was funny”. “When I arrived, I wondered what I was doing there, adds Walid. I was skeptical. In addition, I have a broken voice, but I came a second time and it went on. To the point of becoming one of the vocal leaders of the group and bringing order when it dissipates. “Be pro guys,” he claims when the singers in training take the stage, before encouraging them to stand up rather than sit down.
“We feel an evolution as the workshops progress, the opening to classical music is done gradually, notes Johanne. For example, A. was one of the most devious at first, but now he knows all the lyrics by heart and closes his eyes when he sings. “I have the same approach with them as with those to whom I teach in the conservatory”, explains Jérémie who seeks above all to “interest the prisoners”. And it works since the young people ask him about his cello then ask him to move around to listen to him better: “Can we hear you play? We didn’t hear you. »
Getting out of prison life
But, Jérémie hopes that these workshops can bring prisoners something other than just learning to sing: “The challenge is also to show them that sensitivity is a plus even though the prison world is renowned hard. I myself sought my freedom with music and I want to share that with those who are deprived of it. This workshop is also a breath of fresh air for the prisoners. “It’s one of the few exits,” concedes Camille from SPIP. With this workshop, they are together, with little or no supervision, it is a space where the intimate still has its place. “It’s a moment outside the cell, quite joyful, we have the impression of being in a normal situation”, completes Emmanuel.
“I wanted to get out of my cell,” explains A., who was already taking part in the theater activity. Same echo on the side of Djibril and Karim. The latter can no longer “stay locked up 22 hours a day in less than 9 m²”. “There is no shower, no fridge, bed bugs”, he denounces and assures that “without these activities, we would go crazy”. According to international prison observatory, prison density reached 135.6% among men in Fresnes on 1 January. Despite this, Max is concentrating on singing and “hopes to secure his spot” for the gig. Walid is confident in him: “We are not going to make a fool of ourselves in real life. »