Harmonie Municipale Differdange
The Harmonie Municipale Differdange1 (HMD) was founded on 17 July 1884.
History HMD
The Harmonie Municipale Differdange (HMD) was founded on 17 July 1884, at a time when Differdange was little more than a small village with few ambitions.
But with the installation and development of the iron industry , towards the end of the 19th century, the village and its music fast moved onto a considerably larger scale.
Between 1890 and 1895 the Differdange musicians were invited three times to provide a dignified background to the Grand Ducal family’s travels.
From 1900 on the orchestra began looking resolutely abroad, particularly towards France and Belgium, while all the while fulfilling the usual duties of a local music society. To quote some examples: Paris (1912), Bruxelles ( 1920 in the presence of an audience of several thousand people), Liège (1924), Le Havre (1926), Metz (1932, where they came first in the contest of the excellence league), Marseille ( 1939) etc.
Shortly before the Second World War the HMD gave, among others, great concerts in Switzerland and in Italy.
In 1946 , during a reclassification competition, the HMD was voted best “harmony” of the Grand Duchy. After a first encouraging attempt in Ostende in 1954, the competitions of the CISPM ( Confédération Internationale des Sociétés Populaires de Musique – International Confederation of the Societies of Popular Music) in Vichy (1959), Stockholm ( 1961) and Varallo ( 1966) were all rewarded with a “Premier Grand Pix”.
The HMD was admitted to the National Division as soon as this was created in 1968 ( Classification Contest in Diekirch). During the very first contest in this league in 1972, the HMD came to be leader of all the Luxembourgian groups. ( Contest at the occasion of the World Congress for wind instrument orchestras of the CISPM in Luxembourg City).
Two years previously, the HMD had had the great merit of taking away the first “Lyre d’Or “ of the town of Vichy while competing with the elite of European harmony orchestras, like for example the famous “Philips Harmonie”.
At the national contest in Diekirch ( 1978), the HMD was awarded a first prize with honours , and this in the top division.
Then, in 1984, the music society of the Cité du Fer ( city of the iron) was awarded the gold medal of the town of Differdange at the occasion of its hundredth anniversary. One year later: First Prize and gold medal at the Ostrava Contest ( former Czechoslovakia).
During the contest for the national division organized by the Luxembourg National Federation UGDA in 1986, the HMD once again confirmed its ranking at top level.
The highest possible performance at the highest ossible level in Germany ( Limbach-Homburg, 1996) and, in 1997, FIRST PRIZE WITH GREAT HONOURS AND FIRST GRAND PRIZE ( with 55 out of 60 marks for the set piece) in the national league in Ettelbrück, these are the latest performances of the band in contests.
But the musical life of an orchestra cannot be summarized by its prizes and contests, however precious they may be. A multitude of annual concerts and numerous local outings are indispensable for the cultural life of the town, and the education and integration of the young is equally worthy of interest.
Thus the HMD assures the relief of its members through its youth section, the “Harmonie Prince Guillaume” which was founded in 1964, and it nurses the diversity of its musical offer by presenting a BIG-BAND founded also in 1964 see www.bigband.lu
The big-band just came out with the second CD, and the youth section "Prince Guillaume" defended the Luxembourg coulours in 2004 in Cheb (CZ), among 25 nations, so as in Essen (D) at the 2007 European Festival.
All these efforts are possible thanks to an excellent relation with the administration of the city and friendly ties with the whole population of Differdange, ties that are, by the way, maintained by the publication of the periodical “TRAIT D’UNION” of the HMD, of which 66 editions have been published to this day.
Short text by F.Goergen
Program 125th anniversary
- Séance Académique
- Date: 24 April 2009 at 7.30 PM
- Place: Centre sportif at Oberkorn
- Symposium de sculptures « Fortissimo – Music on the rocks »
- Date: 23 May 2009 – 30 May 2009
- Place: Parc Gerlache
- Musical « Freude » joué par « l'Harmonie Aline Mayrisch Luxembourg » et par « l'Harmonie Prince Guillaume Differdange »
- Date: 20 June 2009 at 7 PM
- Place: Centre sportif at Oberkorn
- Festival bisannuel thématique avec Arturo Sandoval (USA)
- Date: 12 July 2009 at 8 PM
- Place: Centre sportif at Oberkorn
- Concert de l’orchestre « Diffwinds » et du « Royal Delft Wind Orchestra »
- Date: 18 July 2009 at 7 PM
- Place: Centre sportif at Oberkorn
- Concert du Big-Band Opus 78
- Date: 19 September 2009 at 8 PM
- Place: Hall La Chiers Differdange
- Concert du Brass Band Esch
- Date: 11 October 2009 at 5 PM
- Place: Hall La Chiers Differdange
- Weekend festif
- Date: 19 February 2010 – 21 février 2010
- Place: Tente Place du Marché Differdange
- Concert Musique Militaire Grand-Ducale
- Date: 14 March 2010 at 5 PM
- Place: Centre sportif at Oberkorn
- Concert « Best of Hans Zimmer »
- Date: 24 April 2010 at 8 PM
- Place: Centre sportif at Oberkorn
- Show-Concert
- Date: 5 June 2010 at 8 PM
- Place: Centre sportif at Oberkorn
Presidents
- 1996 - ....: Carlo BERNARD
- 1993 - 1996: Jacques OLINGER
- 1989 - 1992: André DI BARTOLOMEO
- 1988 - 1989: Ignace PEPIN
- 1982 - 1987: Jean-Claude SCHMIT
- 1980 - 1982: Julien SCHMIT
- 1976 - 1980: Edy FRITSCH
- 1974 - 1976: Jos CRELO
- 1965 - 1973: Jos KERSCHEN
- 1963 - 1964: Armand KRACK
- 1959 - 1963: Jean GANTREL
- 1952 - 1959: Jean GALLION
- 1947 - 1952: Léon NOËL
- 1941 - 1947: Albert GOERRES
- 1938 - 1941: DOPPELMANN
- 1925 - 1938: Jules FRANCK
- 1918 - 1925: Emile PAULY
- 1917 - 1918: Nicolas WEBER
- 1910 - 1917: Nicolas BEICHT
- 1908 - 1910: Alphonse MARK
- 1905 - 1908: FRISCH-JAMINET
- 1905: Emile MARK
- 1903 - 1905: ORIGER-SCHOCKMEL
- 1891 - 1903: SCHMIT-STEFFEN
- 1890 - 1891: Charles HAUSEMER
- 1890: Jean KOLBACH
- 1889 - 1890: Martin BRASSEUR
- 1887 - 1889: Hubert BRUCK
- 1884 - 1886: MARK-NOËL
Conductors
- 2008 - ....: Gilles KREIN
- 2006 - 2008: Fränk BAUSCH
- 1993 - 2006: Serge KETTENMEYER
- 1990 - 1993: Daniel GIAMPELLEGRINI
- 1985 - 1990: Jean-Marie THOSS
- 1982 - 1984: Norbert GIAMPELLEGRINI
- 1980 - 1982: Marco BATTISTELLA
- 1965 - 1980: Asca RAMPINI
- 1945 - 1965: Camille ROILGEN
- 1936 - 1945: Jules KRÜGER
- 1929 - 1936: Lucien LOUIS
- 1928 - 1929: Tony ZIMMER
- 1918 - 1928: Jean STEIN
- 1918: Josy HAMES
- 1917 - 1918: Auguste KLEIN
- 1914 - 1917: Dominique KRIDEL
- 1908 - 1914: Bernard CROCHET
- 1907 - 1908: Hermann BRANDT
- 1890 - 1907: Karl HARTUNG
- 1890: Auguste KREIN
- 1887 - 1889: Grégoire HAGEN
- 1886 - 1887: Théodore POMMERELLE
- 1884 - 1886: Félix KREIN
See also
- Differdange
- List of the luxembourgish Harmonies and Fanfares
- UGDA
External links
References
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