Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sainte-Thérèse-de-l'Enfant-Jésus church was built in Hirson at the beginning of the 20th century to respond to the influx of population linked to the yard station, second in France after Paris. Funded by engineer Aimé Bonna, specialist in reinforced concrete, it was built between 1929 and 1930 in an Art Deco style, with a facade decorated with bas-reliefs and a statue of Saint Thérèse by Jacques Martin. Bonna, who died before his completion, was exposed in a burning chapel before his funeral.

The interior, typical of Art Deco, is distinguished by a vault and ceiling decorated with 1,500 plaster roses, symbolizing the roses associated with Saint Thérèse. The church, originally attached to the parish of Notre-Dame de Thiérache, was partially demolished in 2008 with the suppression of its 45-metre campanile, considered dangerous. Its reinforced concrete structure, an innovative material for the time, reflects the industrial heritage of its patron.

In 2012, pianist Kit Armstrong acquired the building to transform it into a concert hall, with the support of the municipality. After rehabilitation work, the association Société musicale Sainte-Thérèse was created in 2013 to organize cultural events. The inaugural concert, given by Armstrong in June 2014, marks the beginning of a new vocation for this place, now dedicated to classical and baroque music.

Since then, the church has welcomed renowned artists such as the violinist Andrej Bielow or the Picardie Orchestra, and hosts Kit Armstrong's Spring Musical, an annual festival born in 2017. Concerts, often recorded by national media (France Musique, Canal+), attract a cross-border audience. This project combines heritage preservation and cultural dynamism, giving life to an emblematic monument of Aisne.

External links