The festival committee of Rieux decided to bring back the 'festival of fanfares' which had been previously organised here some 50 years' ago, at which time Rieux itself had a large and prosperous band.

So Sunday, 27th April 2003 saw the first edition of the revised "Festival des Fanfares" with seven bands entering the competition. These bands came from the neighbouring departments of the Tarn and the Haute Garonne and it appears that no local bands yet come up to the high standards demonmstrated by the visitors.

The bands are composed basically of brass instruments but with some other percussion and wind instruments. The traditional French marching 'batterie' will have only what they term 'natural sound' instruments : brass instruments without valves plus drums - in total about 35 musicians. Other groups called 'harmonies' permit, in addition to the valveless instruments and drums, valved brass instruments plus woodwinds and zylophones. These are far advanced from the former 'cliques' found in some southern French small villages and which were composed of perhaps no more than 10 trumpets and drums.

From 3pm, the seven bands paraded from the green near the lycee, down the main street spaced at 100 yards intervals, through the market square to the eastern end of the town playing a mixture of traditional marching French airs and more modern tunes. Each band had its own distinctive character. There, they regrouped and paraded back to the green where each band in turn played three pieces to the panel of judges and to the audience of several hundred enthusiastic supporters and public who enjoyed over two hours of concert under the blue sky and sunshine of the Minervois.

The judging was close and the first three bands were awarded cups. The winners were the "Orchestre, Batterie, Fanfare de Graulhet" - from Graulhet in the Tarn. This band of about 45 musicians, mainly youngsters, had won the French National Championships at Clermont Ferrand in 2002 and their performance at Rieux clearly seduced the judges. The three peices were medlies of modern music, latin music and rythym and blues.

In second place came a band formed in 1992 at Castres in the Tarn with help from the municiplality. They had magnificent uniforms with plumed helmets.

And in third place came the 'Rallye Castrais' in their dark blue uniforms, also from Castres in the Tarn. Their band was of a more traditional military style and played more tradtional music.

Following the awards ceremony, the bands joined together to entertain the public with several more pieces before adjourning for the 'pot de l'amitié' offered by the municipality of Rieux. All present had enjoyed a magnificent afternoon and the promise was made that this was just the first edition of what is destined to be a significant regional annual event.