A Moment to Remember: Saint Lambert Days 2024

On a delightful summer evening on Saturday, August 24, 2024, members of the South Shore Saints came together on the premises of Saint Lambert Days, an annual festival hosted by the town of St. Lambert, Quebec, on the South Shore of Montreal.

Preparations before the 6:00 p.m. prime-time performance at the Parc du Village

It was one of the most memorable public performances for the chorus in recent memory.  The last time the chorus participated in this event was on Sunday, August 28, 2022, in the early afternoon.  On that day, a smaller contingent of members sang on a narrow stage tucked in between Avenue Victoria and Avenue Notre Dame along Green Street.  At the time, I recorded my impressions of that day as follows:

“Went to St. Lambert festival to sing for the Saints today.  We were rushing but on pitch most of the time.  Singing outdoors takes some getting used to. …  I sang ‘Bare Necessities’ and ‘What Kind of Fool am I’ with Brian, Andre, and Pierre-Eric at one the bus stops along Victoria Ave.” 

Granted, it was quite chilly that day, which likely made us rush our songs, and why after the performance, four of us (André Sainte-Pierre [former baritone], Pierre-Eric Greaves, Brian Macnab, and myself) later opted to sing under the shelter of a bus stop.

This time, the weather was picture-perfect, the stage in an excellent location (Parc du Village), and our performance scheduled for prime time (6:00 pm).  Moreover, we had a large audience, and nearly all of the chorus members were present.  To paraphrase the comments that our director, Alan Briand, communicated to us on the Monday following our performance:

Director Alan Briand

“Wow.  We sang every song with excellent balance among the four parts!” 

Several key individuals helped to organize and make the singout a memorable success: Michel Boucher, who spearheaded the efforts to include us among the prime time performers; Alan and Assistant director Steve Wheaton, who were both present on this occasion; and Mario Lapointe, who captured excellent photos of the event and members of the chorus.

Michel Boucher (left), Assistant director Steve Wheaton (center),

and Alan Briand (right)

Mario Lapointe (left) and Brian Macnab (right), sharing a lighthearted moment

Last but not least, it was the wonderful citizens of Saint Lambert and nearby towns who showed up and made our day.  Their reception gave us the chills.  Such are the moments we Barbershoppers sing for.

We're happy that we will be performing next year as well.  See you all again in August!

By Tatsuya Oyama.