Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-10-04
IN SWISS VINEYARDS.
THE GRAND fETES OF THE VINE
GROWERS BROT rERHOOD. 1

Nineteenth Century-Music, Parades and
Feasting In which Old and Young Are
Actors or Interested Spectators.
In olden time-that is, in the time Of
these fetes we're religious celebrations,
and in the Twelfth century the autumnal
examination of vines was the signal for
festivities The Benedictines cared for
body as well as soul, and they formed
themselves into society called the swine
Dressers' Tor Vine Growers) brother
hood" 1t is said, although the archives
were. destroyed by fire in the Seventeenth
century, that these holy monks celebrat-
ed a successful vintage by banquets,
music aed dance. The vine growers ar
rayed themselves as Bacchus and as Noah,
supposed to be the first husbandman,
visited all the vineyards, reproved for
neglect of vines and distributed prizes
to those worthy of reward. Gradually
these fetes became less and less religious,
and in the Sixteenth century the republic
of Berne was obliged to suppress the
fetes of Lausanne, then reduced to mere
Vevay, these fetes have been suppressed,
and at first Vevay, alone in her glory,
tried to celebrate every three years but
now about five times in a century seems
to be the rule. In the Nineteenth CEN
fury there have been celebrations in 1919,
1888, 1854, 1864 and 1889.
THE FEAsTING.
Fifteen thousand people are comfort
ably seated in the amphitheatre, con-
structed on the Place du Marche and
framed by the Alps and by Lake Geneva,
called by Victor Hugo "a magnificent
emerald, enchased as in silver amongst
mountains of snow"
Two hundred thousand francs, about
$4,000, have been expended by the
municipality, and one can have an idea
of the fete's Importance by the prepara-
tions made for feeding the actors and
vine dressers. Three immense dining
halls, capable of holding 5000 persons,
have been erected, and the dishes are
transported from these halls to the kitch-
en- by means of a railway Eight enor-
nous caldrons and six ovens furnish all
the meats and vegetables necessary, and
]
members of the society.
The open side of the arena is occupied
by three monumental gates, through
which enter the categorical groups. At
3 o'clock in the morning the groups
formed and marched to the arena; at 8
o'clock the president made speech Of
welcome, prizes were distributed, and at
0 o'clock began the grand entertainment
The procession was preceded by COM
pany of Swiss, men of imposing stature,
costumed as lansquenets These were
accompanied by music of fife and drum,
and after them came the groups repre-
senting the seasons. Each group had a
grand chief, who sang a recitative as his
followers passed the grand stand and
then all joined in chorus. First came
the group of Spring. The goddess Pales,
queen of shepherdesses borne on tri-
umphal car by white oxen, spotted with
red, was surrounded by graceful shep-
herdesses. The high priest sang an in
vocation to Pales, and there was heard a
majestic chorus. Shepherds and shep-
herdesses danced two ballots, and of these
ballets one was interrupted by well inn
%,
herdsmen, Alpine musicians, and as
elimination of this scene was heard the
famous RAM dez vaches."
THE GRAND PAGEANT.
To represent summer, the goddess Ceres
was surrounded by rustic divinities,
mowers and reapers, with scythes in their
hands She was invoked by the high
priest, an office replacing that of the an
cient nomenclator. The reapers bound
their sheaves and threw them on the har-
vest chariot and all these exercises were
done in measure, accompanied by rhyth-
mical songs.
At last came group representing "A
Village Wedding" First came the vio-
linists, then the bride and groom, pa
rents, grandparents and guests from the
twenty two cantons. Little cherubs car
ried the marriage corbeille, and the pro-
cession was closed by the chariot bearing
the furniture of the newly married
couple AS the famous waltz of Lauter-
bach was danced the notary drew up the
marriage contract, and the scene was
amusing and effective. The grand finale
was bacchanalian dance of course; the
| IRREGULARITIES W tIe ulSil, Out NOuIk BhIo,
dressed as sheperdesses, leading lambs by
blue ribbons, danced a most beautiful
ballet. Azure and Ceres were represent
ed by two beauties from Vevay-a bru-
nette and blonde-and these ladies be-
long to the most respectable families Of
the canton. In fact, the richest inhabi-
tants of Vevay take pride in joining the
procession.
One who has not seen this fete can form
no idea of the Observation-Disclosures,
laden with hay and grain; harrows.
plows, oxen, sheep, goats-all are chosen
from the finest collection in Switzerland.
The divinities, seated on these splendid
cars, are the handsomest women in the
country. Each group has three colors-
blue, red and light green, or sky blue.
Bacchus red and green. All the children
of Spring are dressed in blue, and these
colors, with the rustic music, produce
superb effect. But the ballets are beyond