Les Blés au vent celebrate half-century

St. Boniface

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This article was published 22/05/2024 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A local francophone choir is celebrating a landmark anniversary this year.

Les Blés au vent, a St. Boniface-based ensemble formed in 1974, will mark its half-century milestone with a 50th anniversary concert on Sunday, May 26 at 2 p.m. at Centre culturel franco-manitobain (340 Provencher Blvd.)

Choir director Aline Campagne said the vocal ensemble has 70 members this year, and that another 20 or so choristers, some of whom are former members, will be involved with the upcoming showcase.

“We reached out to former members for this special concert, and some said ‘yes’ and came back, which is great,” Campagne said.

Campagne, who lives in St. Boniface, said the choir’s repertoire consists of predominantly Franco-Manitoban numbers, and also holds dear its affiliation with Gérard Jean, who recently received the Order of Canada.

“Of course, Gérard’s music holds a particular place in our hearts and we will perform several of his songs,” Campagne said. “He was an early contributor of music to our repertoire.”

In terms of its collective voice being heard, Campagne said the choir — which performs many contemporary songs — has lots of energy and enjoys reaching as many folks as possible.

“We’ve still got a lot of energy. Lots of members are seniors, and we’ve still got a lot to offer,” she said. “This keeps us all young.”

Campagne said the upcoming show will also feature a video presentation, and a youth choir from the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine will also be part of the show.

She said audiences across the board will be able to appreciate the range of songs on the concert’s playlist. “Each of the songs we’ve chosen has an emotional impact.”

Musical accompaniment will include piano and guitar for many of the songs, as well as cello, flute and violin for a few numbers.

“There’s lots of variety,” Campagne said. “One song, for example, is about Louis Riel. There’s lots of variety in what we do.”

“This is our gift to the community, in a sense,” she said, noting the whole process is a lot of work, but well worth it.

At press time, there were a few tickets for the concert left. Visit the choir on Facebook for more information.