~ Vive la Musique! ~
Guadeloupe’s Mont Club Choir (MCC) invited the French side’s Charlie Par Choeur (CPC) singers to join them last weekend in a cross-cultural tour de force. Choir directors Charles Vangeenderhuysen of CPC and Gerard Gros of MCC are to thank for this manifestation. At least two years in the planning, the two directors finally managed to arrange the collaboration for the weekend of May 5 and 6.
And so we have our trip with the plan to join these two groups of music lovers in a concert for the community of Abymes, Guadeloupe. The St. Martin choir boarded Air Caraibes flight 303 from Grand Case to Pointe a Pitre on Saturday. Upon arrival, as the group awaited at the baggage carousel, Vangeenderhuysen gathered the singers together and said, “Sixteen Tons.” They smiled in understanding and watched with attentiveness as he began his mental preparation, feeling the beat of the song, and then they all begin to snap their fingers.
Heads nodded in time. Eyes connected, and then they sang. The people standing around at baggage claim seemed a bit nonplussed, but the choir was on fire, filling that large room with exquisite harmony that reached up to the rafters with a bluesy-swing rhythm. Afterwards, singers laughed and one said, “Hey, that was my first flash mob!”
Next they rented cars and drove to the venue where they met the Mont Club choir and the families that would host them for the night. There was the sound check in the afternoon with a run-through of some songs, followed by a brief time to freshen up and rest before taking the stage that evening.
Before the concert, the excitement was palpable, each hoping to sing well, and still a bit unsure about the logistics of the performance, but ready to go with the flow. And flow it did! Each choir did two sets of songs, and two songs were a combined effort of the two choirs. The venue was full and the audience was at first polite, then engaged, quickly becoming thrilled and even swaying with enthusiasm. There were unison claps during the applause and cries for “encore” and “please stay”!
Guadeloupe’s choir featured accompaniment by a trombone and a saxophone along with conga drums and the piano. Their style was more of their island’s traditional songs sung freely and with great joy. Charlie Par Choeur’s style, also joyful with conga and piano, leans more towards classical, popular and world music, with emphasis on precise rhythms and layering of harmonies.
After the concert, MCC hosted the guests for a social time with TiPunch and tapas and more singing. Drummers from both clubs sat in the corner and began testing techniques on the djembe and bongos. Soon a few sopranos began to sing along and in no time a jam session erupted with all the choir members offering tunes led by Akua Codjo whose love of music is infectious and is surpassed only by her bright smile. Those so inspired kicked off their shoes and danced. If they’d had stockings, they would have wrecked them. Hours later, the groups broke up to go to their respective beds for some much-deserved rest.
Such collaboration is a marvel, which will never be forgotten by those in attendance. There is talk of next year returning the favour by hosting the Mont Club Singers here on The Friendly Island. And so where will all this lead? The future is open to all possibilities.
From what seed did the idea of this special weekend spring forth? Undoubtedly, it must have come from the mind of Laure Le Curieux of CPC and her parents who are members of MCC. So it seems this link between the two choirs is a family bond.
The next morning, most of the St. Martin group went to the Museum Memorial ACTe, which is an award-winning new museum dedicated to exploring the topic of slavery, past and present. After this, a final luncheon for the choirs with more singing and dancing. It seemed there was such a happy appreciation of each other’s spirits that the heavens themselves opened up and poured the blessing of rain down upon the land. It cleared just in time to say thank you with hugs, kisses, adieus, farewells, a bientôts and the departure back to St. Martin. The flight home was short and sweet, and yes, full of more singing.
Find out for yourself the magic of such musical joy. Charlie Par Choeur offers their annual concert on June 9 at 7:00pm at the Catholic Church in Marigot. Keep reading WEEKender for more information.
