PlanetEye

Monday, August 25, Quebec's symphony Orchestra presented the last of the open air concerts planned to celebrate the city's 400th anniversary.   The concert opened with the 1812 overture by Tchaikovsky, the version with a choir opening and culminating with the volley of canon fire and carillons. People in North America tend to associate this piece with the 1812 war between the United States and Great Britain, a war fought, among other places, along the Saint Lawrence River.  Actually this war has nothing to do with Tchaikovsky composition, but does it truly matter.  It was beautiful to have it performed on the Plains of Abraham, overlooking the Saint Lawrence.

The piece that followed was Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.   Honestly, this is the reason I attended the concert and stayed all the way, unlike a few people who left because of the cold wind blowing over the Plains that made it a bit uncomfortable to be sitting out in the open air. Also, the wind was responsible for the impression that we had of the sound being at times carried away.  In spite of that, one had to admire the way this extraordinary piece was executed by the talented musicians, the choirs, particularly that children's choir, the remarkable soloists and of course the conductor Yoav Talmi. 

And to end the evening, fireworks lit the sky over the Plains intensifying the public's applause.

While we were waiting for the Paris-Quebec show to start on the Plains of Abraham, turned toward the stage and the giant screens, a few miles away on Georges V Square, were held the closing ceremonies of the 10th annual Festival of Military Band in Quebec.  A beautiful display of fireworks had us all turned away from the screen where only the program of activities was given as well as indications on the plans established by the public transportation system, to bring people to their car or their home after the show.  They have gotten to be very good at that. The fire works were thus to mark the end of this year's Military Band Festival.   Since we are unable, in spite of our efforts, to be in two places at the time, we missed the closing.

We did however watch the parade down Grande Alee with the twelve hundred musicians coming from thirteen different countries, including Canada.   Among all, the uniform of the South Korean Army Band was the most exotic.  Unfortunately, the beautiful Armoury building, designed like a medieval castle. burned last winter while repairs were being done in the attic. So no longer could these elegant military men come out parading from the prestigious central arched gate.  The ruins of the building, did however serve as back drop, a few days earlier for an anniversary party, the festival's 10th anniversary, where cake was served to about three thousand people.

During the week the Festival were organised an incredible number of activities. Some paid - like the concert given by the Red Army choir which we reported on recently - but most were free and offered in various public places:  Squares and gardens of the city.  Their last, but not least performances, were that of various formations in church masses last Sunday morning.   And according to the organisers, this year, record attendances were noted in all the events. 

The third edition of the Quebec City Celtic Festival will take place on August 29th, 30th and 31st.  This 2008 edition will offer a complete program promising to satisfy every One's interest.    Activities planned are workshops, conferences and shows.  According to organizers, Belfast Andi, well known for his folk and Celtic traditional music will close the festival.

During the two and a half days of the festival, there is a parade planned with the 78th Fraser Highlanders.  Many of these activities are free, and people who are interested in knowing more about cultic culture and its importance in shaping the culture of Quebec, are invited to join in the festivities.

The activities for which a fee will be charged are:   The popular whiskey tasting ($25.00)  that will take place on Friday August 29, at 5:00PM, and later that same day at 8:00PM.   The Music show ($20.00) to take place at the Imperial.   The Fest-Noz ($12.00), which is the traditional ball.  

While tapping you feet on the floor, you may learn that many of these dances were initially created for the purpose of packing the ground for a house to be built of for agricultural work.  You'll then be glad that they are now held for fun purposes only.  And fun they are.

Tickets are limited for some of the activities and it would be wise for you to reserve directly at the Morrin Center 44 chaussée des Écossais in the walled city or by calling 418-694-9147

For more information, please visit http://festivalceltique.morrin.org/en/home.php.

Excuse me if I may be a bit too personal, but I had a blast last night at the concert on the Plains of Abraham where singing sensations from France performed along some of Quebec's greatest names in the field of music.  Of course had I been a few years younger, I probably would not have appreciated the show as much.  Many of the song offered were hits at a time when I did not make or care to make the difference between a song from France or from Quebec; except for Felix Leclerc who, I knew, was from Quebec.  But again, I did not like his songs that much.   This just goes to say that French and French-Canadian songwriters are not only cousins they are brothers.   They are for the most part well known on booth sides of the Atlantic.   This certainly is the case for Luc Plamondon to whom a special tribute was paid last night.  After getting a huge ovation from the public, Garou, Daniel Lavoie and Patrick Fiori performed one of the best know tunes taken from Plamondon's musical "Notre Dame de Paris".  It was these singers first reunion since they last played in the musical ten years ago.  Patrick Bruel also received a special salute.

The concert had the format of a television show (It will be shown both on Radio Canada and on Channel 2 in Paris).  Daniella Lumbroso from France and Garou from Quebec played host to this reunion. Video documents were mixed in with the live performances highlighting these strong ties that I just mentioned.  And so the songs we heard were those that made the performers known in each other's country.  It was thus a medley of true "oldies and goodies".  Among them, were songs that brought back memories of those who are no longer among us.  Traditional music was also honoured with a performance by Yves Lambert who was joined by Garou and Michel Fugain who, under the influence of traditional music from Quebec, made a hit with his songs on the Acadians.

Several of these personalities got standing ovations, a good indication that the 100.000 or so spectators present on the plain were enchanted.  Chatting as we all left the Plains around midnight, most of these baby boomers, spontaneously, were expressing their satisfaction.

Celine Dion is unquestionably the most internationally known singer from Quebec.  He career started right here and went on to take her to most capitals of the world.  For the past few years she was she ahs been the star of a Las Vegas review.   And so her performance, on the Plains of Abraham, on Friday August 22nd, was sort of a home coming.  As a matter of fact, the documentary projected on the big screens as a prelude to the concert told the audience of those early days when she was proving the world how talented she was.

The concert began at 9:00PM, half an hour late, and the diva instantly conquered her public.  She is undoubtedly dynamite.   Then the array of stars that she had invited for this unique performance came on stage.  They sang with her in duos and performed by themselves to the disappointment of some who taught that the show would be all Celine.  I personally taught that it has a feel of a family reunion, because among her guests were some major figures of the music scene in Quebec that had paved the way for her.  Among them were Ginette Renaud and Jean Pierre Ferland: a reunion so moving that Celine was unable to hold her tears.   Their last song was just superb.

It was a beautiful evening under superb weather, until we go back again to the Plains, Sunday for the Paris and Quebec reunion through music.

Early ths week, as part of Quebec City's International Festival of Military Bands, the Russian Red Army Choir and Ensemble performed at the Grand Theatre.   After coming out of the performance last Tuesday, I taught of how I could write a review, describing the experience I had just lived.  Honestly, the only thing that came to my mind was to write the word extraordinary a million times.  But I guess that this would not be acceptable to you readers.  And so, here it goes.

Out of the 3 hours the show lasted, there was about 50 minutes of standing ovations.  The voices were unbelievable.  The soloists: out of this world.  Mostly made up of familiar tunes, the program was very Russian.  The performance of the Alexandrov Dance Company was as well.   The whole thing was pure magic, pure enchantment.

The concert was celebrating three anniversaries.  That of the choir, formed in 1928, that of the 10th anniversary of the International Military Band Festival, that, of course, of the 400th anniversary of Québec City.  Is that why the show was so good?   I wouldn't say so.   The Russian Red Army Choir has been good since the first time I heard a recording of them many ears ago.  I  am just trilled that I got to see and hear them, LIVE.

Sunny days and cool temperatures (20-23C) have brought back the crowds to the Samuel de Champlain Promenade, just 15 minutes away from the center of town, along the majestic Saint Lawrence River.   When the provincial government decided to renovate these more or less 2.5 kilometres along the Saint Lawrence, the idea was to bring the population's attention to the river and its importance in the development of the region. It ended up developing more their interest in art.

Among the many attractions: a soccer field, thematic gardens, walking and bicycle trails, various elements related to the history of this part of the territory, there are very interesting works of art that complete the city's fabulous collection of art in public places, due mostly to the application of the so called 1% law requiring that 1% of the cost of a any construction project be invested in a work of art integrated to the architecture.  One of the recent pieces added to the Samuel de Champlain Promenade is a sculpture by Jean-Pierre Morin, an artist from Quebec.

The sculpture was initially destined to be placed on the square between the Hilton and the Convention Center but was replaced by a statue of Alphonse Desjardin and his wife, the founders of the cooperative bank that sponsors this open place.  Therefore the sculpture was moved its new location to the artist's delight.  He often goes stand by his abstract aluminium sculpture to see the people's reactions and hear their interpretation of the piece.  For him, it's like having an opening every so often.