we probe the fundamental structure of particles that make up everything around us We do so using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments Know more The Higgs Boson The W boson The Z boson The Large Hadron Collider The Birth of the web Antimatter Latest news Media News The research programme at CERN covers topics from kaons to cosmic rays and from the Standard Model to supersymmetry See all resources The Future Circular Collider (FCC) study took centre stage at the International Fair of Haute-Savoie/Mont Blanc in La Roche-sur-Foron from 27 April to 6 May captivating presentations and branded goodies showcased the proposed research infrastructure’s scientific potential alongside the applications of particle physics research in everyday contexts The FCC study envisages a next generation particle collider that could succeed the LHC at CERN currently the most powerful collider in the world The FCC aspires to offer the broadest possible exploration of the Universe's mysteries via high-precision and high-energy studies of the elementary constituents of matter and the forces governing their interactions The information booth at the International Fair of Haute-Savoie/Mont Blanc provided a unique opportunity for residents and visitors to articulate their views on the project and engage in constructive dialogue with the FCC team Acknowledging the importance of transparency and community involvement the project team is committed to openly addressing the hurdles inherent in such a monumental scientific endeavour CERN’s participation in the International Fair of Haute-Savoie/Mont Blanc enhanced by the valuable help of volunteers from the FCC team resulted in meaningful discussions with more than 2000 members of the local community on topics ranging from the required technological advancements to sustainability measures https://fcc.web.cern.ch https://fcc-faisabilite.eu More Social Media Accounts Need Help? My Profile Logout Maddie Denton and Harry Clark at the 2024 Bluegrass in La Roche – photo © Emmanuel Marin This report on the long-running Bluegrass in La Roche festival is a contribution from Angelika Torrie in Switzerland. She is a Board member of both the European Bluegrass Music Association and the Swiss Bluegrass Music Association, and a Wernick Method Bluegrass Jamming teacher. Photos are from Emmanuel Marin From start to finish, the festival showcased the unifying power of music. The area in front of the stage was packed, especially during the evening concerts, with excited people—families, friends, old acquaintances, and new ones—all sharing a common passion: bluegrass music. It was hard to find anyone without a smile as the bands gave their all on stage. Music was, of course, at the heart of the event. Over the four days, 35 acts performed 45 concerts. The bands and musicians came from 10 European countries as well as the US, showcasing the diversity and global reach of bluegrass. With this impressive lineup, the stage was always bustling with activity.  Though space is limited, a few highlights stand out. The sheer wealth of music presented was immense, and every performance was exceptional in its own rights! Naturally, headliner bands like East Nash Grass, Broken Compass Bluegrass, Campbell-Jensen, and the Rick Faris Band captivated the audience with performances that ranged from energetic to thoughtful. I was particularly impressed by the performance by Buster Sledge from Norway. Though they are a bluegrass band, they incorporate other influences that enriched this musical evening. Their “new-timey sad-grass” brought an enriching mix of jazz, folk, and gypsy influences to their bluegrass base, adding depth and modernity to their music. Their lyrics, which can be downloaded from their website, are modern and thoughtful, giving an added reason to listen.  Never before has a solo act been invited to this festival, but Stella Prince clearly belonged on that stage. Her performance was a hit, with the audience captivated by her unique sound and ethereal voice. Blending influences from Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, and Judy Collins, Prince’s voice and guitar work were both mesmerizing and powerful. Her confidence and artistic depth make her a standout talent in modern folk music. The Mary Lee Family Band (BRA) brought their hard grass genre from Brazil to Berlin, adding a unique flair to the festival. Their performance, with hard rock elements and a drum set, was loud and energetic, providing a distinctive edge to the bluegrass lineup. The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee (USA) delivered authentic, gritty old-time country music from Virginia. Their performance provided a poignant conclusion to the festival, reminding everyone of the genre’s roots. Bands not specifically mentioned include Stacja Folk (POL), The Boatswain Brothers & Pitch Hill Boys (GBR), Bluegrass Cwrkot (CZE), New Blue Quitach (FRA), Tricyclette (FRA), Blue Weed (ITA), Taff Rapids (GBR), Happy Heartaches (SWE), Mad Meadows (DEU), Cow Comino Train (FRA), Blue Lass (GBR), and Morgane (FRA). I saw them all, and they were all very, very good! What truly sets this festival apart is the strong sense of community that has formed around the music. Whether in the audience, at the campsite, or in local cafés, new friendships were made and old ones rekindled. Attendees agree: the festival is more than just a musical event; it’s an annual gathering of a global family. A special thanks goes to the 270 volunteers who made the festival possible. Recognizable by their red festival T-shirts and happy faces, they came from the region, from farther away, and even from the USA to contribute to the success of the event. Their tireless work, from logistics to visitor care and artist support, was greatly appreciated by all. With so many locals involved, it’s clear that since the festival’s beginning an entire generation has grown up in La Roche-sur-Foron for whom bluegrass music and this festival have become an integral part of life each year. And that is quite an achievement within Europe, not to be underestimated!  A key part of the festival is the three-day workshop led by Gilles Rézard, featuring instructors from the USA and France. Over 120 participants showcased their skills in a grand finale on the opening night on Thursday evening. The village market and second-hand book and music album market offered a range of goods and souvenirs, adding to the festival’s charm. The 2024 edition of Bluegrass in La Roche was a resounding success, combining excellent music, a warm community, stunning surroundings, and great weather. Christopher Howard-Williams, Didier Philippe, and their team created a truly magical event. As we look forward to the 2025 20th anniversary edition, the memories of this fantastic weekend will be cherished. The festival’s fans, signed CDs, and souvenirs will keep the spirit of Bluegrass in La Roche alive until next year.  emailAbout the AuthorGuest ContributorOccasionally we have Guest Contributors who share their thoughts and experiences on Bluegrass Today Latest Event ListingsSearch Events powered by AhSo © Bluegrass Today 2025powered by AhSo Son of ex-Formula 1 racer Rubens joins Valentin Hasse-Clot Eduardo Barrichello has been announced as the final driver for Racing Spirit of Leman’s debut season in the FIA World Endurance Championship next year The son of ex-Ferrari Formula 1 driver Rubens will join the previously-announced Valentin Hasse-Clot and Derek Deboer aboard the Swiss outfit’s No 10 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo in what will be his first season of GT competition has spent the past two seasons racing in the Stock Car Pro Series in his native Brazil finishing third in this year’s championship behind Gabriel Casagrande and another former Ferrari F1 racer he was a podium finisher in the Formula Regional European Championship and a race winner in the U.S Racing Spirit of Leman is making the step up to the WEC’s LMGT3 ranks from the European Le Mans Series effectively replacing D’station Racing as Aston Martin’s second team in global series alongside The Heart of Racing which takes its name from the French name for Lake Geneva near its base in La Roche-sur-Foron finished third in the LMGT3 class of the ELMS this year with Aston factory racer Hasse-Clot Jamie Klein is Sportscar365's Asian editor who previously worked for Motorsport Network on the Motorsport.cоm and Autosport titles covers the FIA World Endurance Championship and SUPER GT Stephen and Brenton Grove to replace Claudio Schiavoni replacing Paul-Loup Chatin at IDEC Sport.. Catch up on all of the action from second round of FIA World Endurance.. Iron Lynx confirms Martin Berry as Christian Ried's replacement for 6H Spa; further races.. HomeWECNewsWhat is the story of the Racing Spirit of Léman which is joining the WEC in 2025?WECWhat is the story of the Racing Spirit of Léman which is joining the WEC in 2025?There is a newcomer in the World Endurance Championship Racing Spirit of Léman has gained the trust of Aston Martin to compete in WEC Zoom on the structure of La Roche-sur-Foron © Overtake/Motors Inside / The team is supported by Aston Martin.One more step The Racing Spirit of Léman is closely linked to motor racing the Savoyard structure - but racing under Swiss license - has already proven itself in motor racing The team founded by Patrick Barbier had technically supported Cool Racing before the two entities took different paths is the technical director - has made its mark in ELMS Just a stone's throw away from the title in ELMS the entity based in La Roche-sur-Foron operates British racing cars in various championships the Racing Spirit of Léman has taken a new step by entering the highest sphere of world endurance The team was hoping to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2025 This is what Patrick Barbier had confided to us during a round of the Ultimate Cup at Magny-Cours they needed to be crowned champions in the ELMS to receive the official invitation But the various twists and turns of the last round of the ELMS in Portimao meant that Iron Lynx the team will indeed be present in the WEC The Racing Spirit of Léman has already confirmed two of its drivers: the American Derek de Boer a bronze-rated gentleman driver by the FIA He will be joined by the French Logged me in A verification email will be sent before to publish your comment. Never miss any breaking news thanks to the new Motors Inside newsletter. Receive important information instantly. By signing in, you accept the placement of a cookie in your browser to stay logged. It will not be use to track you or for advertisement purposes. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice This course, however, could be the perfect opportunity for yesterday’s stage winner Miguel Lopez to gain on the yellow jersey. After stage 16’s incredible finish on the Col de la Loze, the Colombian has proven he is not overawed by the quality of the peloton at the biggest race in cycling but would need a momentous day to ride a minute and 26 seconds into the yellow jersey. This is a day for the endurance climbers with the peloton heading up the Cormet de Roselend, the Saises and Aravis, all at around 6% gradient, before finally reaching the hors categories of the day – the Plateau de Gileres. This 6km climb will definitely be a tough feat for the riders, averaging at 11.2% before a rolling 1.5km gravel section ahead of the summit; the headline slot for all of the Alpine stages.  Last time this climb was featured in the 2018 Tour, Julian Alaphillippe was the first to crest it, going on to take the stage win and mountain points title. After yesterday’s entertaining ride from the Frenchman that earned him the combativity award, as well as losing the jersey in the early stages of the Tour after a time penalty, it will be interesting to see how he tackles this climb. The peloton will still have to ride an undulating 30km after the Gileres, facing the punchy uncategorised climb Col des Fleuries before the finish line. Including that, there will still be over an hour’s worth of racing so all will be to play for in the last section of this stage. Whilst the course is not as scary as yesterday’s stage 17, it will be still be an awesome and exciting challenge for the peloton, with the continuing fight between the Slovenians Roglic and Pogacar for the yellow jersey, and a last chance for the likes of Lopez, Richie Porte or Adam Yates to show off their potential. The favourites must use their team to their advantage to be in with a chance of a stage win; it is not a day for solo heroics.   The stage is scheduled to start at 11.05am BST (12.05pm local time). Stage eighteen will be broadcast live in the UK on Eurosport 1. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies map and route from Meribel to La Roche-sur-Foron","description":"This is a day for the endurance climbers Kwiatkowski was effectively gifted the stage 18 win in La Roche-sur-Foron by his teammate Richard Carapaz, the reigning Giro d’Italia champion, after the pair left their final breakaway companion Pello Bilbao (Bahrain–McLaren) on the approach to the final climb, across the Plateau des Glieres, and rode on together to the finish. a past world road-race champion and winner of Milan-San Remo paid tribute to Carapaz’s generosity and to what he called the “greatest team in cycling” I can’t describe how grateful I am to the whole team and to Richard “You get some nice moments in cycling but that was a new experience I had goosebumps for the last few kilometres because I knew our gap was so big a key player in the Tour successes of Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas added that he couldn’t compare his stage win with any other victories due to the extraordinary circumstances I don’t know if it’s the magic of the Tour or the way we did it and Carapaz’s taking of the lead in the King of the Mountains competition lifted the gloom hanging over the British team after the defending champion Egan Bernal abandoned on Wednesday morning with back and knee problems “Hopefully Egan will be all right,” Kwiatkowski said I think he was really sad when he was leaving the race and hopefully The race leader Primoz Roglic meanwhile was also feeling demonstrative. Asked how he hoped Tour fans would think of him, he replied: “Most of all, as a nice person, I think that is the most important thing. Hopefully I am nice to everyone and the people will just like me.” In the race, the only significant challenge to Roglic’s hegemony came from Mikel Landa and his Bahrain-McLaren team, much as it had 24 hours earlier on the brutal stage to the Col de la Loze. The Spaniard accelerated on the final climb and briefly moved ahead, but it was not enough to dislodge Roglic, although it did put Landa’s rivals for a top-five finish in trouble. Rigoberto Urán (EF-Education First) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) were all dropped on the climb to the Glieres as Landa sought to move up in GC on the gravel section of the ascent after deposing Yates and moving into fifth overall “We had our team at the front and it’s just a shame we couldn’t do any better Jumbo-Visma’s pace was just too high and as a consequence we couldn’t go any faster.” the Pole proved as eloquent off the bike as he had been on it “A lot of people are saying that we miss Nico Portal in the car,” he said of the much-missed sports director who died in the spring You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed One very attractive feature of the Bluegrass in La Roche weekend is its street festival where bands play free concerts on the terraces of the bars and restaurants around the La Roche-sur-Foron town center With one exception (Indian duo Grassy Strings) only bands not playing the main festival are playing the Street Festival Among these are two all-female line-ups at the Street Festival one from France and one from the UK.  One of the organizers of the biggest festival dedicated exclusively to bluegrass music in Europe “This will make up for a lower-than-average female contingent on the main stage with only six bands with leading female musicians this year.  as we pitched for two female-led US acts and one all-female US act since the festival started in 2006 we have booked over 100 bands that were either all female (like Della Mae) or with strong female participation (like Mile Twelve Blue Lass is a five-piece bluegrass group who make up the core of the band – and Steph Doe (Pig Society) who will be deputizing for Cat Rebecca playing double bass They play a combination of original and traditional bluegrass and old-time songs and instrumentals and their sets range from energetic instrumentals to moody songs which transport the listener with their stories Through meeting and jamming together on the festival circuit the members felt inspired to arrange some pieces to perform together – from there The band’s playing is reflective of their love of the great bluegrass of the 1950s but they also take a more contemporary approach in their arrangements Each member takes their moment to lead the songs and the band’s strong harmonies help them to stand out in a line-up each stepping towards the single mic to improvise a solo gives their shows an authentic vintage feel Cow Comino Train is a bluegrass/Folk band based in Lyon This female quartet rearranges and modernizes traditional bluegrass/old time tunes while adding country and Coraly Harps (harmonica) make up the group Caroline Penot provided a bit more about this fledgling band that is trying to make “their voices and instruments ring to make the audience travel in the vast American lands “The band started with me and Myriam when we met in the bluegrass jam in Lyon four years ago We wanted to share the American roots sounds we both loved so much As soon as Coraly and Noémie joined the band we started to play live in and around Lyon.  2023 is the year of the first festivals for Cow Comino Train (Grésiblues Festival And now that the band’s identity is clearly defined it is also the year of the first written songs together.” Lyon unplugged featuring Cow Comino Train performing Bluebird Blackbird (lla Mae) The leader of another band making its debut at La Roche is Jean-Baptiste Cardineau a French/American mandolin player and singer/songwriter “on a mission to reclaim the poly cultural quintessence of traditional acoustic music.” He told me this about himself and The Baptiste Cardineau Band …  as a child where I lived for a total of eight years and moved back to the United States at age 17 I have been lucky enough to play on some of the biggest bluegrass stages in the world most notably the Rockygrass main stage in 2020 QC for five years or so to play with Canadian bluegrass outfit Crooked Creek a guitarist and composer who has played on some of the biggest gypsy jazz stages in the world So much so that I asked him to be my mentor we became musical counterparts and have played together ever since Frank and I hired our friend Johnny Sunshine from Sunshine in Ohio (also playing at La Roche) to play bass for our sets.  so I am looking forward to entertaining the folks and going along for the ride in some new places.” These bands and others will be performing over three days from Wednesday ​August 2 – before Bluegrass In La Roche kicks off – to Friday Bluegrass In La Roche continues on the Saturday and Sunday (August 5-6) The Street Festival page on their web site includes a guide to the restaurants and bars and to the two other private venues that are hosting a free concert open to the public Three-day and four-day passes (12€ and 15€) are now available.  ​Daily tickets (5€) will be on sale soon, “probably next week.” For those under 13 entry is free.  Road rainbow jerseys at 'Super Worlds' to be decided in Sallanches with 13.3km circuit including the previously used Côte de Domancy Six events and new track categories for juniors have been added to the multi-discipline UCI Cycling World Championships in 2027 the second edition taking place August 24-September 5 in the Haute-Savoie department of France pump track and junior track will be added to the singular Cycling Worlds format Two new specialities will be introduced as well - indoor cycle speedway and bike polo “These combined UCI Cycling World Championships were part of my vision when I was elected UCI President in 2017 This vision became a reality in 2023 in Glasgow and across Scotland and we are now building on what we created in Scotland in an even wider range of cycling specialities," UCI President David Lappartient said in a press release The UCI and the local organising committee announced Tuesday a general programme for the 13 days of competitions which will recognise 281 titles the dates of the different competitions were not confirmed Also revealed was the road race circuit to be used for the Road World Championships in 2027 A 13.3km circuit would be used for all categories U23 and elite riders was not confirmed yet.  The start and finish in Sallanches sees the road race return after five decades last contested in 1980 where Bernard Hinault won the men's world title and Beth Heiden won for the women using a 13km circuit France last hosted the Road World Championships in Plouay in 2000.  Each of the road race laps will include 285 metres of elevation gain including the return of the Côte de Domancy a 2.5km ascent with maximum gradients of 16% the use of a similar circuit "marks a return to tradition and should encourage a record number of spectators to attend the event" Of the 12 different venues for 'Super Worlds' 11 are spread across the Haute-Savoie region stretching from the Grand Massif in the east where mountain bike marathon and enduro champions will be crowned to Rumille where all Para-cycling road competitions will be held.  All track events will be held at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines the same velodrome which hosted the Paris Olympic Games 350km away from the central area of La Roche-sur-Foron Organisers did say that new competitions for Junior track should take place before the official date of the 'Super Worlds' programme The UCI plans to hold the joint championships as a quadrennial event would be in the year preceding the Olympic Games Since the original announcement was made three years ago that Haute-Savoie would host the championships one new event has been included on the schedule: cycle speedway racing oval dirt tracks with riders using short wheel-based single-speed bikes in lap-based competitions among individuals and teams The other introduction for world titles is bike polo which was contested as an exhibition sport at the 1908 London Olympic Games and now holds global competitions on hard-court surfaces with three-rider teams.  The UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships will continue to be held separately typically near the end of the winter season in February a sports marketing and public relations agency which managed projects for Tour de Georgia a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast) Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France) you will then be prompted to enter your display name Christopher Howard-Williams (left) with Guy Flammier and Didier Philippe In September 2018 the IBMA recognized the significant contributions that Christopher Howard-Williams has brought to international bluegrass music with the presentation of their Distinguished Achievement Award Howard-Williams has been active in bluegrass music circles for 30 years Then as a volunteer MC for the Country Rendez-Vous Festival at Dore l’Eglise he officiated during what was to be Bill Monroe’s last trip overseas (July 1992) Four years later he followed the initiative of French bluegrass music stalwart and banjo player, Jean-Marie Redon, and became a foundeing chairman of the France Bluegrass Music Association (FBMA) Later he took on the role of the organisation’s president (for eight years) and for four years the editor of its magazine For a brief period, Howard-Williams was Vice-Chair of the European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA).  All of this was the proving ground for his leadership role in starting and developing the La Roche Bluegrass Festival staged in the alpine commune of La Roche sur Foron and the Arve Valley that leads to Chamonix and the Mont-Blanc the Director of the Tourist Office of La Roche and general co-ordinator of La Roche Bluegrass Festival – Howard-Williams’ closest working colleague in the management of the festival – “we were very happy and surprised to have 3,000 or 4,000 people” during what was then a two-day event “we have around 15,000 people coming every year over the four days,” Philippe states with obvious pride.  there were 50 local volunteers catering for the visitors; now there are more than 220 people helping and working at the festival.” “Nobody in La Roche knew about bluegrass music before Christopher brought it” to the compact “we can say that every year the people living in the region of the French Alps know more about bluegrass music because lots of them already came once in La Roche.” Similarly of great importance as Philippe sees it everything that Howard-Williams does for the La Roche Bluegrass Festival is for love “Christopher is still president and artistic director since 2006 and of course he is still volunteer which is very remarkable after 13 editions.” The La Roche Bluegrass Festival has been nominated on three occasions “and Christopher and his 200 volunteers are very proud of this,” Philippe insists The festival is Europe’s largest festival exclusively dedicated to bluegrass music … and This year’s event will feature 29 bands (23 of whom are European) from 11 countries there are eight contest bands who will play at various times during the four-day event.  The 2019 La Roche Bluegrass Festival takes place from July 31 to August 4 to start … you were born in Germany to an English family; is this correct Did this influence your choice to live in France in later life?  My parents were military and I was two when they moved to Paris Funnily enough my sister was born in Paris and she now lives in Germany My decision to come to France had nothing to do with that I studied French and took a one-way ticket to Paris after university there were little formalities and pretty much everyone in France wanted to learn English so When and in what circumstances did you become aware of music Was this awareness passive or did it develop into active participation (and when was that)?  “I come from a musical family – but it was all classical. My brother is a professional conductor (anthonyinglis.com) and my sister became a professional ballerina My first single was She Loves You and my first album was Beatles For Sale My preference was always for the American approach to rock Bluegrass came through Jerry Garcia and Old & In the Way I started playing in Paris and when I moved to Lyon in 1982 This was my first serious participation in a band playing gigs I became Chair of FBMA when no-one wanted to take on the job (2002 – 2010) and kept the association going and organizing two annual national meets in Spring and Winter (still going in Vichy in May and November) I also started getting involved in EBMA (serving as Vice Chair with Angelika for a short time) Dennis Schutt asked me to host his version of EWOB I went to the Mairie and asked if the town would be interested to host a bluegrass festival and got the famous reply That was 2005 and we hosted the first festival in 2006.” you played with Moonshine in the town square of La Roche sur Foron and the establishment of a bluegrass festival emanated from that event What was the response that you got from the Mayor and his/her colleagues?  “This concert was organized by the Tourist Office There was someone taking pictures and I learned he worked at the town hall he was the cultural attaché on the council I went to see him shortly after the show and asked if he would be interested in hosting a bluegrass festival as Dennis Schut had contacted me about organizing his EWOB in France I explained that it was the type of music we had played with Moonshine a couple of weeks before and have built a strong friendship since then over the years.” How have changes to the ‘establishment’ at La Roche affected the continuance of the bluegrass festival how do you value the continued support from the city?  He loved the festival and was proud that the little town of La Roche sur Foron (population 12,000) hosted such a successful international event He understood the impact the festival had on the town and enjoyed meeting the US acts every year even though he didn’t speak English.  specifically told me not to worry if he won as the town would continue to back the festival because he too understood how important the event was for the town He continued to sponsor the event financially and to be present during the festival especially at the opening and closing ceremony on stage has continued the tradition of supporting the festival Didier Philippe of the Tourist Office is my co-organizer it turned out that he was looking for some event to organize during the summer vacation period La Roche is in the mountains without being a holiday destination in its own right I’m sure he would have embraced jazz I bring the music and Didier organises the event It is a perfect partnership of complimentary roles whenever we have an idea or need some specific assistance he knows who to call and has some personal relationship already It makes it a lot easier to get things done logistically He also happens to be a great project manager and super nice guy that you just want to like and help The great advantage we have is that many towns in France and have thus been able to establish ourselves as a major event in the region.” I was going to ask about the ‘free’ admission………. “During our first meetings we discussed what type of festival we wanted My initial thoughts were that we use the local theatre that seats around 250 people but gradually we came to the idea to organise something bigger outdoors that was more than a village fête.  Then came the meeting where we discussed pricing I was the only person who knew anything about bluegrass and I expected that maybe 300 people would turn up The question was how much can you charge people to come to a music festival to see a musical genre they had never heard of Eventually we decided to take a gamble on making entrance free on the grounds that people might more easily spend their money once inside the festival We therefore decided that we would take charge of all food and drink sold on the festival site Our decision paid off as we get large crowds and food and drink is now our primary source of income Half our volunteers (220 altogether) are involved in preparing and serving home-made food and working behind the bars We have no outside food concessions at the festival People came to see what the festival was about with no financial risk Many liked it and came back with friends and family Even people from other countries went home and persuaded their friends to come back with them the next year Today food and beverage accounts for 50% of our income The other 50% comes from private sponsors (30%) and institutional sponsors including the town and local region (20%).” Please would you tell me about the Festival Off (the ‘Fringe’) Do these musicians/bands just come on site in the same way as others Do they have to make a registration plea in advance to ‘book’ a spot Who instigated this aspect of the festival “The Fringe festival works as follows Bands play a one-hour set on a restaurant terrace and the restaurant gives them a meal and drinks They have to register because we organize it in such a way that the shows are not close together It works Wednesday evening and Friday lunchtime We offer slots to bands playing the festival if they want it If we find we have some open slots with no band we will look locally for a band who may be here we often have trouble filling the Wednesday schedule See also the fringe page on the website. This shows the schedule and the number of bands. Other than that, bands often organize their own sessions with the restaurants, but we don’t plug this as it is often in competition with the main festival! There are various jam sessions on restaurant and bar terraces pretty much all weekend, non-stop.” Tim Stafford endorses the IBMA’s decision to recognise Howard-Williams’ contributions to the bluegrass music genre …… Hopefully he’ll keep on doing it, because we all need him.  There couldn’t have been a more deserving recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award.” Eugene O’Brien, Chair of the European Bluegrass Music Association, hails the impact that the La Roche Bluegrass Festival has had on European bluegrass bands …   “The La Roche festival is a significant element in the growth of home-grown European bluegrass. Whether playing on the main stage or on the smaller lunchtime stage, the festival gives established European artists and bands, as well as newcomers, the opportunity to play to the largest bluegrass audience in Europe.  Also, about forty bands apply each year to enter the competition to be crowned European Bluegrass Band of the Year with this number whittled down to eight finalists that play over the four days of the festival. I have the pleasure and honour of not only having been in a winning band, but also over the past three years a member of the jury for the competition.  From this vantage point I have seen how well the festival is organised, the care that is given to have a wide representation from across Europe and the magnificent support from the town and the volunteers that make it so successful. This year the European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) is delighted to have La Roche as one of our Partner members and is adding to the overall prize money for the winners, second and third place bands in the competition.” Angelika Torrie cites one particular strength that has made the La Roche festival so successful ….  “It was great to have Christopher on the EBMA board of directors for several years. We had met years ago and then again at the second or third edition of the La Roche Bluegrass Festival. His joining the board of EBMA was a great win.  Christopher’s skill of building relationships is one of the major strengths that helped building the festival in La Roche, and it has brought and, will bring, many US bands over to Europe already, and also helps bands from across Europe to contribute to the colors of La Roche Bluegrass Festival.” Kids On Bluegrass is a program where talented teens and youngsters are highlighted during the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass each year Special bluegrass kids are identified from around the country and formed into a band to both entertain attendees and highlight the fun of picking’ and singing’ to other young people The 2015 edition of the Kids On Bluegrass Band are looking forward to an exciting opportunity this summer when they travel from the US to France and a performance at the big La Roche Bluegrass Festival in La Roche sur Foron This free festival brings together top acts from both the US and Europe and hosts the annual Best Bluegrass Band in Europe competition where 10 groups from all across the continent are invited to perform 2015 being the 10th anniversary for La Roche director Christopher Howard-Williams wanted to change things up a little bit they have invited all past winners to come and perform and asked both the IBMA’s Kids On Bluegrass Band and Cheerful Diligence a teen bluegrass group from Russia to appear which include Frannie DiGiovanni on guitar Cara DiGiovanni on fiddle (both from Greenbrier The La Roche Festival will cover the expenses for the kids and will take care of housing while they and their families are at the festival Kim said that she first met Christopher Howard-Williams when he hired her family group and caught up each year at World of Bluegrass The kids participating in the event include Frannie (guitar) and Cara DiGiovanni (fiddle) from Greenbrier, TN, Isaac Ferrell (banjo) from Pickens, SC, Jonah Horton (mandolin) from Wilkesboro, NC and Helen Foley (bass) from Los Altos, CA. The La Roche Bluegrass Festival runs from July 29 – August 2, and Kim says that the kids and their families are either coming early or staying after to spend some tourist time Europe. Fox will be there supervising the young pickers, and performing with her brother Joel, sister Erin, plus Dale Ann Bradley and Phil Leadbetter. Events at La Roche occur at various spots in the small town in the French Alps, near the Swiss border. Both the US and the Russian kids should have a heck of a good time. emailAbout the AuthorJohn LawlessJohn had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2004 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011 managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents