In the charming town of Monistrol-sur-Loire, located in the Haute-Loire department of south-central France, a unique musical collaboration is set to take place this weekend. For the first time, the vocal ensemble Les Balladins sans mesure will perform alongside the instrumental group Zac Strol Band in a pair of concerts at the local venue known as La Capitelle. The events are scheduled for Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26, 2026, marking a significant milestone in the cultural calendar of the region.
According to verified reports from local news outlets, the collaboration brings together approximately 60 singers from Les Balladins sans mesure and around 40 musicians from Zac Strol Band. The combined performance will feature a diverse repertoire drawing from film scores, popular music, and classical works. Specific pieces mentioned in promotional materials include themes from “Game of Thrones,” “La La Land,” songs by Queen, and selections from Verdi’s operas, alongside well-known numbers such as “The Reveal Must Move On,” “Va pensiero,” and “Exodus.”
The concerts will be presented in three distinct segments each evening: first, performances by the choral groups alone—featuring the women’s choir followed by the men’s choir on Saturday, and the mixed choir on Sunday—then a standalone set by the Zac Strol Band, and finally, a joint performance uniting both ensembles on stage. This structure allows audiences to appreciate each group’s individual strengths before experiencing their combined artistic expression.
Artistic leadership for the event is shared between two conductors. Noémie Charreyron and François Chel are serving as the musical directors for the Zac Strol Band, while Pierre Guillaumont leads the choral forces of Les Balladins sans mesure. This collaborative approach to direction underscores the cooperative spirit behind the project, which organizers describe as stemming from a shared passion for music and community engagement.
Zac Strol Band, formed in 2013, originated from a merger between former members of the Monistrol and Beauzac fanfares. The ensemble has since grown to include musicians ranging in age from teenagers to adults, with the youngest member reported to be just 13 years ancient. The group’s instrumentation reflects a traditional harmony ensemble augmented with less common instruments, including a bassoon and a horn, alongside standard woodwinds, brass, and percussion sections.
Les Balladins sans mesure, whose name translates to “Singers Without Measure,” is a choral association based in Monistrol-sur-Loire that maintains three distinct ensembles: a mixed choir, a women’s choir, and a men’s choir. Rehearsal schedules indicate that the mixed choir meets weekly on Monday evenings, while the gender-specific choirs convene twice monthly. The group has been active in regional cultural events, including a joint performance with a choir from Le Cheylard in Ardèche earlier in March 2026.
The decision to collaborate with Zac Strol Band represents a new direction for Les Balladins sans mesure, marking their first major performance with an instrumental accompaniment of this scale. Organizers have characterized the project as both an artistic challenge and a rewarding opportunity for growth, noting that musicians from both groups have had to adapt their usual practices to accommodate the combined rehearsal and performance demands.
Local authorities and cultural organizations have not been cited in available sources as official sponsors or coordinators of the event, though the leverage of La Capitelle—a municipal venue—suggests some level of institutional support or facility access. Ticket pricing, accessibility details, and expected attendance figures have not been disclosed in the verified materials consulted for this report.
As of the latest available information, no recordings or live streams of the upcoming concerts have been announced. Attendees are encouraged to consult the official channels of Les Balladins sans mesure or Zac Strol Band for any updates regarding access to the performances, though no specific websites or social media handles were verified in the sources reviewed.
The concerts on April 25 and 26, 2026, stand as a testament to the vitality of grassroots music-making in rural France. By uniting vocal and instrumental traditions in a shared artistic endeavor, Les Balladins sans mesure and Zac Strol Band aim to offer audiences a memorable experience rooted in community, creativity, and the enduring power of live performance.
Looking ahead, both groups have indicated plans to continue their regular rehearsal and performance schedules beyond this weekend’s events. Les Balladins sans mesure maintains a calendar of monthly gatherings through the spring and early summer, including special sessions open to external participants in June. Zac Strol Band has too scheduled a concert for May 29, 2026, in collaboration with Firminy Ondaine at the Église de Saint-Pal-de-Mons, suggesting ongoing activity for the ensemble.
For those interested in staying informed about future performances by either group, monitoring local cultural bulletins or contacting the organizations directly via their published points of contact remains the most reliable approach. As the weekend’s concerts approach, anticipation builds in Monistrol-sur-Loire for what promises to be a harmonious union of voices and instruments.
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