‘Precious’ musical instruments removed from Montreal heritage building after fire – Montreal | 24CA News
A pair of beneficial musical devices have been faraway from a Montreal heritage constructing that caught fireplace final week, elevating hopes that they are often saved to play once more.
Simon Blanchet, programming director on the Chapelle du Bon-Pasteur, stated Sunday a Fazioli live performance grand piano and a 1772 Kirckman harpsichord had been each faraway from the live performance venue contained in the chapel of the nineteenth century former monastery a day earlier.
Firefighters reply to a five-alarm fireplace on the former Monastere du Bon Pasteur, a nineteenth century heritage constructing on Friday May 26, 2023 in Montreal.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Blanchet stated he turned emotional when piano technician Oliver Esmonde White performed a couple of chords on the Fazioli simply earlier than it was moved, because the piano notes blended with the sound of the water working down from the ceiling and puddling on the ground.
“At least it sounded, it played,” he stated in a telephone interview. “So that’s positive. There’s still hope.”
He stated each devices — particularly the piano — sustained some moisture harm and should dry out earlier than they are often totally assessed.
But he stated each had been protected by covers and he’s hopeful technicians will be capable to restore them.
The Kirckman was additionally moved to a workshop, the place harpsichord specialist Benoit Beaupre is optimistic that it may be returned to its full glory.
While there’s moisture within the instrument, Beaupre stated he doesn’t imagine any water penetrated the inside, which might have triggered it to warp or rot.
He stated there are some spots on the varnish and the ornamental marquetry, and the glue holding the instrument collectively might have weakened. However, he believes a lot of the harm is beauty and the instrument needs to be “completely fixable,” he stated Sunday in a telephone interview.
“Everything seems to be holding OK, so it’s very good news and hopefully in two weeks maybe we can begin the repair,” stated Beaupre, who has a workshop he runs alongside his father, Yves.
In addition to being one of many oldest harpsichords in Canada, the 250-year-old instrument has some particular options that had been added on the time of development which give it a novel sound, he stated.
“It’s a very special instrument,” he stated. “We don’t have two like it in Quebec or in Canada.”
Blanchet stated the devices’ survival is a small shiny gentle in a devastating week that has seen Montreal musicians lose certainly one of their most vital live performance venues.
He stated the live performance corridor within the former chapel supplied principally free live shows, usually showcasing rising musicians that may go on to profitable careers.
The scene on Saturday was “apocalyptic,” he stated.
“Water was running everywhere, from the ceilings, and everything is destroyed, the stage was like a lake.”
The blaze broke out Thursday on the nineteenth century constructing, which additionally features a residence for seniors, a housing cooperative and a daycare centre along with the live performance corridor.
The blaze that broke out on Thursday shortly turned a five-alarm fireplace requiring the intervention of 150 firefighters who battled the flames for 42 hours.
Both the reason for the fireplace and an estimate of damages remained unknown, Montreal’s fireplace division stated Saturday.
While it’s lucky that no person was harm, Blanchet stated members of the creative group are “in mourning” for the live performance area and in search of different locations to hold out their programming.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
