son et lumière

American  

[saw ney ly-myer] / sɔ neɪ lüˈmyɛr /

noun

French.

1. sound-and-light show.

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son et lumière British  

/ sɔ̃n e lymjɛr, ˈsɒn eɪ ˈluːmɪˌɛə /

noun

1. an entertainment staged at night at a famous building, historical site, etc, whereby the history of the location is presented by means of lighting effects, sound effects, and narration

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Etymology

Origin of son et lumière

Literally, “sound and light”

Example Sentences

Agoria — that boom and chirp from successive speakers, creating a son et lumière roundelay.

From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2015

There was a son et lumière set in the model of Rye town where I lived as a child.

From The Guardian • Jun. 29, 2012

Thirty years on, Jarre took off on a tour of European capitals to put on the kind of spectacular son et lumière shows matched only by Pink Floyd at their most overblown.

From The Guardian • Oct. 2, 2010

It is, instead, a frequently breathless and occasionally stupendous son et lumière show, crowded with mechanical contrivances, and a headlong rush of happenings that, as designer Robin Wagner puts it, "overlap like arrows in flight."

From Time Magazine Archive