François COUTURE/Denis VEILLEUX
1917 - Fatima - 2017
Music: Couture; Words and concept: Veilleux
Narration: Marie-Hélène Vézina (Sister Lucie)
Children's voices: Francois-Gabriel Pagé (age 5); Charles-Alexis Pagé (age 6); Evelyne Pagé (age 10); Julianne Pagé (age 11); Philippe-Antoine Pagé (age 13)
The Fatima children (adult voices): Gabrielle Lapointe (Lucie), Félix-Antoine Lanthier (François), Eugénie Tremblay (Jacinthe)
Trio Beau Soir (Geneviève Beausoir (flute); Jean-François Gagné (viola); Antoine Malette-Chénier (harp))
Direction: Sophie-Marie Martel
rec. Studio François Couture, Quebec, Canada, 2016?
Frencj texts only
DISQUES BOGHEI 17BOGHEI01 [60:20]
This CD is a permanent product of a project realized by the Radio Galilee Foundation to mark the centenary of the apparitions at Fatima. Clearly targeted for the French-speaking market the supplied texts are only in that language. That said, the sense of the text is for the most part accessible if you have picked up a smattering from your contact with classical music over the years.
The first listing on the insert is for the priest Denis Veilleux, the writer of the words and it is Veilleux who provides the foreword (in French) occupying page 2 of the insert. François Couture, the Canadian composer, orchestrator and arranger, has written the music for what amounts to a holy pageant. What the listener hears is a gentle musical celebration of the visions of Mary as they appeared to the children Lucie, François and Jacinthe in 1917 near their home village of Aljustrel, Fátima, Portugal.
This is an uncommercial and varied musical mosaic that radiates sincerity. A trusting faith lies at its centre and there is no room for a jarring smirk or a souring sneer. Nothing is jagged or coarse and do not look for anything grandiose or operatic. Do not come to this disc looking for sophistication. Reverential and mystical craft is there in its place and is patently present across the 26 tracks. The listening experience feels like an intimate rite but without cultish overtones - an invocation and an unglamorous and sometimes prayerful processional. There is singing by a children's choir along with oration and singing by adults voicing the three children. Some of this is accompanied by instrumentals for flute, viola and harp. The flute in Gardons le silence provides music that is simple and curvaceous while the instrument at other times dances delightfully around the children's choir. A touching viola and harp dialogue distinguishes Moi François and in Près du puits the effect is Debussian as the singing of choir is embraced by harp and flute in the aural equivalent of entwining clematis. The message is borne home to the listener in a way that is clean, pristine and subtly affecting. It is no miscalculation that the final track is an Ave Maria.
Rob Barnett
Contents
1. Ritournelle enfantine (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Félix-Antoine Lanthier) [3:48]
2. Disons notre oui (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Félix-Antoine Lanthier, Gabrielle Lapointe) [3:04]
3. Récit inspiré des Mémoires de soeur Lucie (Marie-Hélène Vézina) [1:46]
4. En regardant le ciel le soir (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Félix-Antoine Lanthier, Gabrielle Lapointe) [3:21]
5. Comme un écho (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Félix-Antoine Lanthier, Gabrielle Lapointe) [2:19]
6. Récit inspiré des Mémoires de soeur Lucie, Pt. 1 (Marie-Hélène Vézina) [1:32]
7. Gardons le silence (Trio Beau Soir, Gabrielle Lapointe) [2:36]
8. Sur un petit arbre (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Félix-Antoine Lanthier) [3:11]
9. Danse sautillante (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Félix-Antoine Lanthier, Gabrielle Lapointe) [2:05]
10. Récit inspiré des Mémoires de soeur Lucie, Pt. 2 (Marie-Hélène Vézina) [1:08]
11. Moi, François (Trio Beau Soir, Félix-Antoine Lanthier) [2:28]
12. Récit inspiré des Mémoires de soeur Lucie, Pt. 3 (Marie-Hélène Vézina) [2:29]
13. Près du puits (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Félix-Antoine Lanthier, Gabrielle Lapointe) [3:09]
14. Moi, Jacinthe (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay) [3:01]
15. Ensemble prions (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Félix-Antoine Lanthier, Gabrielle Lapointe) [2:53]
16. Récit inspiré des Mémoires de soeur Lucie, Pt. 4 (Marie-Hélène Vézina) [0:55]
17. Le Ciel (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Félix-Antoine Lanthier) [2:54]
18. Un oiseau (Trio Beau Soir, Félix-Antoine Lanthier) [3:15]
19. Récit inspiré des Mémoires de soeur Lucie, Pt. 5 (Marie-Hélène Vézina) [1:01]
20. Dieu le voulait (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Gabrielle Lapointe) [2:04]
21. Tu te rappelles (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay, Félix-Antoine Lanthier, Gabrielle Lapointe) [2:50]
22. Récit inspiré des Mémoires de soeur Lucie, Pt. 6 (Marie-Hélène Vézina) [2:09]
23. Le chemin (Trio Beau Soir, Eugénie Tremblay) [2:52]
24. Jésus caché (Trio Beau Soir, Félix-Antoine Lanthier) [3:04]
25. Moi, Lucie (Trio Beau Soir, Gabrielle Lapointe) [3:22]
26. Ave Maria (Trio Beau Soir, Gabrielle Lapointe) [2:14]
