Earlier this summer, we advised readers of Orchestra News of a wonderful outdoor concert program planned for August 5 by the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil. Entitled “Les Francosymphonies”, the program (led by OSDL music director Marc David) featured Marc Hervieux and a host of other wonderful singers in a varied French repertoire, ranging from Bizet to Berger & Plamondon.
As anyone who’s ever been involved in producing an outdoor concert by a symphony orchestra will know, sometimes they are magical – and on other occasions they are heart-breaking. This time, the orchestra managed to get halfway through the concert (for an audience of some 5000 people) before the evening’s SECOND thunderstorm hit. For safety reasons, the concert was called off.
We’re reporting on this not because it’s unusual, but because of the grace with which the orchestra’s Directeur général handled the situation. Commenting on the event the following day, Gilles Choquet noted that “we were so touched to see the thousands of people who stayed with us despite the rain. This evening was intended as a gift to the people who have supported us through our 25-year history, and the concert provided eloquent proof of the close ties that unite us. We look forward to thanking our supporters under sunnier skies!”
