By Nicolas Kalgora, French regional animator for New Brunswick
A special Share Lent benefit concert saw over 200 people of all ages pack the pews of Saint-Anselme Church in Dieppe, N.B. on Easter Monday, April 21. They came to listen to Acadian singer-songwriter Donat Lacroix, who was accompanied his wife, Émé, and his brother, Michel, and to four choirs―the St. John Paul II adult choir, the Saint-Ansleme de Dieppe choir, the Moncton Saint-Éphrem multicultural choir and the Université de Moncton international choir.
A prayer for Pope Francis
The Most Rev. Guy Desrochers, Archbishop of Moncton, opened the evening with a prayer for the repose of the soul of the Holy Father Pope Francis, whose death had been announced earlier in the day.
The archbishop implored the Lord to fully open the gates of heaven to his servant, Francis, who had been so humble in his papacy and had “played an important role in changing our Church.” He also thanked God for the late pope’s pontificate sought His help in preparing the next pope. Finally, he invoked the Holy Spirit to “fill the hearts of the cardinals who are about to vote, so that they may find among them a new pope who can effectively continue the work of change begun by the one who has left us, and guide us into the future.”
Before the prayer and minute’s silence, Archbishop Desrochers underlined the important work of Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada (DPCC) in the Global South. He recalled participating with his brother bishops of Canada in DPCC’s reforms a few years ago. He said that no matter where we are on the planet, we make up the human family. That is why he opined that we must think of impoverished people elsewhere as much as we think of those here at home.
Share Lent benefit concert: breathtaking voices uplift the audience
The Saint-Anselme de Dieppe and Saint-Jean-Paul II de Moncton choirs, both directed by Jean-Claude LeBlanc, set the tone for the evening with the Acadian national anthem, Ave Maris Stella. The audience leapt to their feet and sang along in unison. This was followed by songs honouring the Virgin Mary, such as Nous te saluons, Notre-Dame, and songs of the Resurrection, including John Littleton’s Gethsemane. The Université de Moncton international choir, directed by Maria Laura, and the Saint Éphrem multicultural choir, directed by Raoul Sadrac, performed songs in honour of the Virgin Mary and the Easter season. The songs, some in Wolof and other foreign languages, were set to the rhythms of the djembe, the piano and the guitar.
The delighted audience was quick to express its satisfaction. Monctonian Angelina Brideau said, “It was a real pleasure, even an honor, as it had been a long time since I had heard choral music.” Another Monctonian, Denise Janelle, added, “It was a musical and cultural feast. Congratulations to the choir directors, organizers and volunteers from Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada. Thank you for this wonderful moment. Bravo!” Alphonse D’Amours said, “We really enjoyed the choirs, but especially Donat and Émé Lacroix.”
The star attractions
What is a show without an audience? Fortunately, the announcement of Acadian singer-songwriter Donat Lacroix on the billing boosted ticket sales considerably. Lacroix, who was well known to most attendees, moved the audience not only with his songs and his voice that remains powerful despite his 88-year-old age, but also with the stories he told about each song. He did this with La femme du capitaine, a song that recalls the 1990s wrecking of herring fishing boat by an autumn storm. A song that had almost everyone singing along was Viens voir l’Acadie. Its refrain, taken up in chorus by everyone, invites listeners to discover the warm-hearted people of Acadia. Another moving moment was when Émé Lacroix bowled everyone over with her breathtaking voice as she sang Évangeline and Ave Maria, both from the iconic album, Viens voir l’Acadie.
The venue was also filled with moving memories since Lacroix had sung in that very Saint-Anselme church accompanied by three musicians some 50 years ago. Some in the audience remembered that occasion well.
“Donat and Émé Lacroix took me back in time. All his life, Donat Lacroix has sung the history of Acadia. I found myself back at the celebration of the life of one of his friends in Saint-Isidore [in northern New Brunswick], where he had sung 50 years ago,” Angelina Brideau reminisced. “As always, he takes me to infinity.”
As he had done at the funeral of Acadian novelist Antonine Maillet a few days earlier, Lacroix closed the evening with the much-anticipated Yesouh, another track from the album Viens voir l’Acadie, which he performed almost in its entirety by with his wife.
A success for DPCC Youth Moncton
We would like to pay tribute to DPCC members on the organizing committee, who not only contributed ideas but also helped with promotion and advance ticket sales and during the evening.
Young people, too, played a crucial role. Indeed, the show was a success thanks to the hard work of people in the DPCC Youth movement. From former youth ambassador and current francophone New Brunswick youth representative Hadrien Gayap serving as master of ceremonies; to Esther Tinwa and Gabin Nana welcoming special guests; to Émile Tigan, Maurel Kouekan and Collince Delor selling and checking tickets, young people gave their all in roles they had taken on only a few days earlier.
A vote of thanks
At the start of the evening, DPCC animator Nicolas Kalgora expressed the international solidarity organization’s gratitude to all who had bought tickets or made donations and had come for the show. Special thanks also went to those who agreed to sing at the Lent benefit concert. Kalgora said that over and above giving their time and money, these people were showing “support for the mission of our organization, in other words, solidarity with our sisters and brothers around the world, our common Home.”
A sincere thank you to everyone for every gesture, large or small, made to ensure the success of the Lent benefit concert. Ticket sales and donations brought in $4,700 to support DPCC’s mission.
We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!
