Saturday December 7, 2024 will forever remain a historic date. That of the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris after five and a half years of work. This event was accompanied by a major evening broadcast on France 2, followed by 7 million viewers, during which many artists performed. Among them, Vianney who performed a “Hallelujah” reworked for the occasion and the emotion was intense…
Vianney performs “Hallelujah”, a version specially revisited for the reopening of Notre-Dame. A performance broadcast on France 2 in the program “Retrouvons Notre-Dame”. © France 2
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A date that no one will ever forget, that of December 7, 2024, the day of reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral after five and a half years of work on this site called “construction site of the century”. 250 companies and around 2,000 craftsmen were mobilized to restore the famous building located on the Île de la Cité to its magnificent appearance before the fire, which broke out on April 15, 2019. Thanks to 846 million donations, including the 200 million of the businessman Bernard Arnault and the 100 million of François Pinault, this resurrection was made possible and a great evening was devoted to the historic event of reopening.
The singers present for the reopening of Notre-Dame, French and international
To end Saturday’s tribute to Notre-Dame, the France 2 channel broadcast in prime time a concert called Let’s Meet Notre-Dame, bringing together a host of classical stars, including the Chinese pianist Lang Lang, and pop artists like the star American Pharrell Williams and the French Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo. Over the concert, recorded Friday due to bad weatherthe headliners performed on the square in front of Notre-Dame, accompanied inside the cathedral by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel. Clara Luciani, plunged into the cold, performed La Romance de Paris, Garou The time of the cathedrals from the musical Notre-Dame of Paris in which he played Quasimodo. Marking moment, Pharrell Williams performed his global hit Happy in front of Notre-Dame accompanied by a gospel of 60 singers. Shortly before, the Oscar-winning French actress Marion Cotillard had declaimed a poem by Victor Hugo in the nave, accompanied by the French-American cellist of Chinese origin Yo-Yo Ma. This hybrid show ended with the electro DJ’s set Frenchman Michael Canitrot, who lit up the west facade of Notre-Dame.
Vianney happy with the reopening of Notre-Dame : “We found Notre-Dame!
But there is another moment that was particularly moving, the Hallelujah of Vianney. In the heart of Notre-Dame, the singer offered a revisited version, in French. And the words could only touch…”One day the lady said okay I’ll take your flames but not death“, sang Vianney in particular while the viewers of France 2, 7 million that evening, discovered at the same time images of the framework of Notre-Dame in full reconstruction. Vianney’s performance was shared numerous times on social networks and a few hours after its recording and broadcast, the singer himself expressed himself on Instagram.We found Notre-Dame!” he first wrote, in order to mark his immense joy. “One day, when I have the words, I will tell you how much this moment shocked me. We are so small in front of herto the firefighters who saved it, and to the artisans who made this rebirth possible. Thanks to @gustavodudamel for his openness and extraordinary listening, to the @philharmoniquederadiofrance, to my friend @clementducol for his string arrangement, and to @dioceseparis for his invitation“, he continued in the caption of the video of his performance on Hallelujah. A video which to date has 2.8 million views on Vianney’s Instagram account.
A moment that will remain forever engraved in his heart and which received many reactions in the comments section.
“It was so beautiful! Well done Vianney“, commented Leïla Kaddour, “Too beautiful my Vian. You must have had immense pleasure! In any case, we listen to you for sure!“, reacted Mélanie Page, “Bravo !“, enthused Jérémy Frérot. And in this same section reserved for comments, Vianney provided significant clarification. Many people asked the singer if he was at the origin of this special version ofHallelujahand the answer is yes. “For those who ask, the text I wrote is not a translation of Leonard Cohen’s song, but a free French version, inspired by this moment“, he clarified.
Many heads of state present in the heart of Notre-Dame
Saturday evening, 7:20 p.m., the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich, in an outfit designed by the French stylist Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, symbolically opened the doors on which he gave nine blows with his butt, formalizing the rebirth of this leader. Gothic work from the 12th century, saved at the last minute from the flames on April 15, 2019.Our Lady, open your doors”, he said.
Inside the building were seated 2,500 guests including around forty heads of state and government (including the President-elect of the United States Donald Trump and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky), crowned heads (the Prince William or Prince Albert of Monaco) but also the billionaire Elon Musk. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, alongside her husband Nicolas Sarkozy, made an impression by recycling one of her iconic outfits, a magnificent coat signed John Galliano for Dior, decorated with a thin black belt that she had worn in 2008 , while she was first lady, during a state dinner in London for her meeting with Queen Elizabeth II.
Upon his entry, Volodymyr Zelensky was applauded for a long time as, later, 160 of the firefighters who saved Notre-Dame from the flames and the craftsmen who participated in its reconstruction. Inside the cathedral, Emmanuel Macron expressed the “gratitude of the French nation” : “We rediscovered what great nations could do: achieve the impossible“, greeted the President of the Republic in a speech.
A forever historic evening…
