Tuesday was the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and the COC programmed Innu soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais, with pianist Louise Pelletier, for the lunchtime concert series.  They began very appropriately with Ian Cusson’s Le Récital des Anges; settings of two elegiac poems by Émile Nelligan about death and childhood.  They are very beautiful and deeply sad songs that seemed just right for the occasion.

Berlioz’ Les Nuits d’été also has an elegiac quality; especially in songs like “Le spectre de la rose” and “Au cimetière”.  It was a pleasing performance.  St-Gelais has a big voice but she managed the tricky RBA acoustic pretty well with her top notes in control and some interesting colours lower down.  It helps that she sings French text like a Francophone!  All in all justice was done to berlioz’ rather lovely cycle.

The encore was Thomson Highway’s “On dit que la rose” from his play Rose.  A fitting way to conclude a concert on such a day.

Photo credit: Chris Hutcheson