A TRIBUTE TO... ONE YEAR
It’s February 15, 2021. At the Abbaye d’Oka, sound rises and circulates between the tall columns as the NEM musicians, conducted by Lorraine Vaillancourt, play the first movement “The Mask Falls” of Speaking in Tongues (1993) by composer Melissa Hui. This piece was commissioned by the NEM for the 2nd Forum International des Jeunes Compositeurs.
It is a tribute to the NEM oboist Julie Sirois-Leclerc, also an emergency doctor. A woman, a mother, a professional and a passionate, devoted musician.
It is also a tribute to all the healthcare and essential services workers who have been standing firm for over a year to help us all stay afloat.
"Dear 2020, [...] You showed me that life can quickly reorganize itself, cities can empty, people can stand and come together, care for each other without knowing each other, sometimes make inhuman sacrifices for the good of the group. In order to be able to hold, touch and embrace each other again one day.
– Julie Sirois-Leclerc
