France-Uruguay: which Marseillaise can we expect before the French XV match in Lille?

2023-09-13 17:12:31

She will undoubtedly be listened to even more than usual. The Marseillaise will sound again this Thursday (9 p.m.), in the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, in the suburbs of Lille (North), for the second match of the French XV in the Rugby World Cup, against Uruguay. After a first musical failure during a sportingly successful opening match (27-13 against New Zealand) at the Stade de France, how will the French anthem be played this Thursday in Lille?

The anthem affair has indeed stirred up the start of this World Cup. The French anthem was sung a cappella by a children’s choir on the pitch of the Stade de France. But, covered by the chants of the public, and with a dubious arrangement in canon (with several voices), the whole thing had turned into cacophony. Other hymns, Irish and Italian in particular, sung by children’s choirs with several voices, have also been severely criticized. This led World Rugby and France 2023 to reconsider their initial choices and offer the selections a choice. Or a hymn, always sung by children, but in a reorchestrated version, without canon, and recorded. Or a classic anthem.

“We have validated a recorded version of the Marseillaise, which retains the children’s voices”

Since this modification, the XV of France is therefore the first team to have to decide. We have recently known his choice. “We know that World Rugby is working on the subject of anthems. We have validated a recorded version of the Marseillaise, which retains the children’s voices,” revealed Raphaël Ibanez, manager of the XV of France, this Wednesday in Villeneuve-d’Ascq.

There will therefore be no more Marseillaise a cappella, no more canon or polyphony, but always the voices of children from the “Mêlée des choirs”, but recorded, and accompanied by music. The Marseillaise in Lille should therefore be less cacophonous than at the Stade de France. The public will in any case be curious to discover this version. One thing is already certain: the audience at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium, obviously full to capacity, will sing it very, very loudly.