In my second year in Pau, I met Guillaume. He had joined the symphonic choir of the local Pau and Bearn Country Orchestra (OPPB) where I already sang. A barytone, Guillaume was of my age group. Within the large symphonic choir, I only had few interactions with him during rehearsals and concerts.
Then in the summer of last year, Guillaume and I were both invited to join the smaller Ensemble vocal émergence (Evé), which needed experienced singers to beef up the chamber choir for Brahms' German Requiem. With the intensive programme of rehearsals for this project, I got to know Guillaume better. Not only did he have a beautiful barytone voice, but he was also particularly friendly and easygoing, eager to give his time and energy to the musical projects of the symphonic and chamber choirs we were both in.
I happened to queue up for a jazz concert organised by a local association one night. Guillaume was there again, selling tickets and drinks during the interval for Tonnerre de Jazz. He was all smiles, still full of energy and mingling freely among the audience and the artists. At another memorable concert this past March, Guillaume had driven his SUV to fetch a Spanish jazz group who had been stranded by a rare snow blizzard while attempting to cross the Pyrenees for their gig. The audience waited patiently while Guillaume sped down from the mountain with the players. That concert was all the more emotional afterwards.
Getting to know Guillaume better, we discovered we both practiced long-distance running and started running together. It helped that we lived close by in town so it was easy to meet up in the evening to run around and out of town. Guillaume showed me all the small alleys snaking up and down the plateau at the edge of the city. This knowledge of the city centre's pedestrian shortcuts and staircases he generously transferred came in particularly handy during the covid-19 lockdown when I could run up to the regulatory 1 hour within a distance of 4 km from my house but still avoid running around in circles. While running together, we would always cross people that seem to know Guillaume and who would greet him warmly. This guy had a large network.
Recently I discovered Guillaume was also very active within Pau à vélo, another local association promoting the use of bicyles within town. Indeed, I had seen him drive two bicycles: a cross-country bike when we met one morning to run together in the city's woods; and one of the dashing yellow electrified bicycles on rental by the city council on which he elegantly cruised through the city from work to various social events.
During the covid-19 lockdown we only glimpsed each other once or twice along the streets and only greeted each other from afar: me on my bike or on a solo run; Guillaume walking his terrier dog. When the lockdown was lifted we had agreed to start running together again and had made plans to meet the last week of May.
On 27 May, Guillaume and his bicycle were run over by a car at a city intersection. Broken spine. Unconscious for one month and a half. He did not wake up and died on 13 July. All his energy, generosity and warmth lost. What a waste!
Mad about the boy
Dinah Washington, Queen of the blues, Mis
Then in the summer of last year, Guillaume and I were both invited to join the smaller Ensemble vocal émergence (Evé), which needed experienced singers to beef up the chamber choir for Brahms' German Requiem. With the intensive programme of rehearsals for this project, I got to know Guillaume better. Not only did he have a beautiful barytone voice, but he was also particularly friendly and easygoing, eager to give his time and energy to the musical projects of the symphonic and chamber choirs we were both in.
I happened to queue up for a jazz concert organised by a local association one night. Guillaume was there again, selling tickets and drinks during the interval for Tonnerre de Jazz. He was all smiles, still full of energy and mingling freely among the audience and the artists. At another memorable concert this past March, Guillaume had driven his SUV to fetch a Spanish jazz group who had been stranded by a rare snow blizzard while attempting to cross the Pyrenees for their gig. The audience waited patiently while Guillaume sped down from the mountain with the players. That concert was all the more emotional afterwards.
Getting to know Guillaume better, we discovered we both practiced long-distance running and started running together. It helped that we lived close by in town so it was easy to meet up in the evening to run around and out of town. Guillaume showed me all the small alleys snaking up and down the plateau at the edge of the city. This knowledge of the city centre's pedestrian shortcuts and staircases he generously transferred came in particularly handy during the covid-19 lockdown when I could run up to the regulatory 1 hour within a distance of 4 km from my house but still avoid running around in circles. While running together, we would always cross people that seem to know Guillaume and who would greet him warmly. This guy had a large network.
Recently I discovered Guillaume was also very active within Pau à vélo, another local association promoting the use of bicyles within town. Indeed, I had seen him drive two bicycles: a cross-country bike when we met one morning to run together in the city's woods; and one of the dashing yellow electrified bicycles on rental by the city council on which he elegantly cruised through the city from work to various social events.
During the covid-19 lockdown we only glimpsed each other once or twice along the streets and only greeted each other from afar: me on my bike or on a solo run; Guillaume walking his terrier dog. When the lockdown was lifted we had agreed to start running together again and had made plans to meet the last week of May.
Mad about the boy
Dinah Washington, Queen of the blues, Mis
