Montreal, June 27, 2024. – It was yesterday that the elementary and secondary school graduates of the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal left for a ten-day tour of the United States, a well-deserved reward! This stage of their journey will offer them the opportunity to unite their voices with those of several American choirs. The tour, which will take place from June 26 to July 5, will allow these young musicians to share their passion for music, live a thrilling adventure, and enjoy an unforgettable cultural experience.
A series of concerts on the American east coast
Under the direction of Andrew Gray, the musical and artistic director of the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal, around fifty choristers will begin their tour in Philadelphia on June 28. They will perform in concert with the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale, directed by Jeffrey R. Smith, at the First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown.
The choristers will continue their journey to Princeton for a concert on June 29 with the Fairfield County Children’s Choir and the Princeton Boys and Girls Choir. They will perform at Bristol Chapel under the musical direction of Jon Noyes, Dr Lynnel Joy Jenkins and Andrew Gray. Next stop: Washington to sing at the June 30 Mass at Saint Mary Mother of God Catholic Church.
The 1is July young musicians will take part in Canada Day celebrations at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, where they will proudly perform the national anthem. Later in the evening, they will perform a concert in collaboration with the Washington Opera Comique, directed by opera and operetta enthusiast Simon Charette, at the North Bethesda United Methodist Church.
Then, they will head to New York where on July 2, the singers will have the privilege of performing at Yankee Stadium to sing the American national anthem at 7 p.m., just before the Yankees’ game against the Cincinnati Reds, broadcast on Sportsnet. Don’t miss this historic meeting for Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal! The next day, the choir will perform at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, an architectural treasure located on 5th Avenue and directly across from Rockefeller Center. On July 4, they will offer a surprise concert in honor of the American national festivities.
On the way back to Montreal, on July 5, they will stop for a mini concert at Fort Ticonderoga, a historic fort built by the French in the 18th century at the end of Lake Champlain. The fort, whose Iroquois name “ tekontaró: ken » means “at the junction of two rivers”, today houses a museum and a research center, managed by a foundation.
A musical program driven by passion
The musical program for the U.S. tour was chosen by the graduates and includes contemporary hits, classical works, works from the United States, Quebec and elsewhere: Ave Maria (A. Bruckner), Abendlied (J. Rheinberger), Kyrie from the Requiem (WA Mozart), Michelle (J. Lennon/P. McCartney), Here comes the Sun (G. Harrison), Mister Sandman (P. Ballard), Te Quiero (A. Favero), Dance me to the end of Love (L. Cohen), Hallelujah (L. Cohen), Ordinaire (R. Charlebois), Si les bateaux (G. Vigneault) and many others.
2024 US EAST COAST TOUR
PHILADELPHIA | 28/06 19h, concert with the Philadelphia Boys Choir & ChoraleFirst Presbyterian Church of Moorestown,
101 Bridgeboro Rd, Moorestown, NJ 08057.
PRINCETON | 06/29 4 p.m., concert with the Fairfield County Children’s Choir and the Princeton Boys and & Chorale Choir,
Bris
WASHINGTON |30/06 10h30, messe à la Saint Mary Mother of God Catholic Church, 727 5th St NW,
WASHINGTON |01/07 8:30 a.m., participation in Canada Day celebrations at the Canadian Embassy,
NORTH BETHESDA | 01/07 7 p.m., concert with the Washington Comic Opera, North Bethesda United Methodist Church,
NEW YORK |02/07 7 p.m., American national anthem, Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds game, Yankee Stadium,
1 E 161st St, Bronx, NY 10451 (broadcast on Sportsnet).
NEW YORK |04/07 13h, concert-surprise.
FORT TICONDEROGA |05/07 14h, mini concert, 102 Fort Ti Rd, Ticonderoga, NY 12883.
About the Little Singers of Mont-Royal
The Little Singers of Mount Royal (PCMR) is a choir that was founded in 1956 to provide high-level musical training to young orphans in Montreal. Aged between eight and seventeen, the 200 boys in the choir today come from diverse social and cultural backgrounds and share a real passion for singing. Their repertoire ranges from Gregorian chant to contemporary choral works. Over the course of a year, the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal sing in more than sixty masses at Saint-Joseph’s Oratory and offer numerous a cappella concerts or with various ensembles.
www.pcmr.ca
