Montreal, get ready to visit some of the city’s most prestigious hotels , celebrate historical moments and honor advocates of Peace and Justice through the beautiful language of music at these three amazing up-coming events:
BED-IN FOR PEACE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel
From May 26 to June 2, 1969, The Queen Elizabeth hotel welcomed John Lennon and Yoko Ono for what would soon be known worldwide as their iconic Bed-in for Peace.
Now 50 years later, the suite in which they stayed has become one of the most mythical in the world and the Queen Elizabeth Hotel has a line – up of amazing commemorative activities for Montrealers and tourists alike to visit and relive the unforgettable milestone during which the famous couple composed and recorded the Peace Hymn, Give Peace a Chance, without leaving their bed to demonstrate against the Vietnam War and to raise collective awareness about universal peace.
Give Peace A Chance – The Photo Exhibition
The hotel’s lobby has currently transformed into a photographic showroom, featuring large-format photos and guest testimonials pulled from “Give Peace a Chance: John and Yoko’s Bed-in for Peace”, a compilation by Joan Athey featuring photographs by Gerry Deiter, the sole photojournalist covering the whole event whose report appeared in Life magazine.
This free exhibition will be presented until October 9th, John Lennon’s birthday. Visitors are encouraged to share peace vows on their social networks with the hashtags #Bedin50, #Givepeaceachance or #FairmontMoments.
Cité-Mémoire’s Bed-In projection
Up until June 2nd, Cité Mémoire’s Bed-In projection will be shown twice per hour in the hotel’s lobby Agora. The projection features a soundtrack created by Victor Pilon and Michel Marc Bouchard paying tribute to the bed-in for peace and the song Give Peace a Chance.
Bed-In 50th Anniversary Concert at Espace C2
On May 30th, at 7 p.m. , a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Bed-in will be presented at the magnificent Espace C2 on the top floor of the hotel. This concert benefitting Amnistie Internationale Canada Francophone will bring together Beyries, Ève Salvail, Geneviève Borne, Joël Denis, Jonas Tomalty, Kevin Parent, Les Porn Flakes, Lulu Hughes, Miriam Baghdassarian and Yann Perreau.
Tickets will be sold at the cost of $69 each.
Dream of having your own Bed-In experience ? You can now book the 50th Anniversary Peace Package which includes accommodation in Suite 1742; breakfast at Rosélys restaurant or in the comfort of the suite; two white pajamas covered with lyrics from “Give Peace a Chance”; a booklet of photos; white flowers; a commemorative collectors piece; a welcome treat and a $100 donation to Amnistie Internationale Canada Francophone.
For more info please visit: https://www.fairmont.com/queen-elizabeth-montreal/
SHAAR HASHOMAYIM MUSIC & ARTS PRESENTS Tonight, Tonight!
A 100th Birthday Tribute to Leonard Bernstein!
This Wednesday at 7:30 pm, the Shaar Hashomayim Music & Arts (SH’MA) congregation proudly presents Tonight, Tonight!, a celebratory concert presenting the magnificent music of Leonard Bernstein, part of “Leonard Bernstein at 100,” a two-year global celebration of the life and career of the 20th-century cultural giant.
The multimedia concert will features Broadway actress and soprano Leah Edwards alongside the Shaar’s own internationally-acclaimed tenor, Cantor Gideon Zelermyer.
Expect a festive evening of musical favorites performed by The McGill Chamber Orchestra (celebrating their 80th anniversary season in 2019/20), led by Conductor Roï Azoulay and guest conductor Boris Brott, (featured below) as they perform alongside the Choirs of Shaar Hashomayim & St. Matthias’ Anglican Church, excerpts from West Side Story , Candide, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms & several other beloved melodies.
Speaking of the music of Bernstein, Azoulay comments,
“Leonard Bernstein was very proud of his Jewish identity, and also exceptional in his ability to touch so many styles and worlds. At the Shaar we appreciate this excellence and wish to pay tribute to someone who represented these values in his life.”
Azoulay is also very enthusiastic about the Shaar’s new collaboration with the choir of St. Matthias’ Anglican Church and music director Scott Bradford, who lives just across the street from the synagogue in Westmount:
“Today, it is more important than ever to unite with our friends and neighbors. Through our shared love of music, we have a beautiful opportunity to create a community.”
This special musical tribute event will be graced by the presence of Jamie Bernstein ( Bernstein’s eldest daughter ) as narrator for the evening.
Tonight, Tonight! A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29TH, 7:30 PM
Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, 120 Chemin de la Côte-Saint-Antoine, Westmount
Tickets $100
Premier tickets: $250, includes reserved seating, valet parking, pre-concert dinatoire & partial tax receipt
Tickets: 514.937.9474 ext. 139 or shaarhashomayim.org/event/concert2019
Next Saturday, June 8th, Artists for Peace and Justice are proud to announce their inaugural Montreal black-tie gala fundraiser benefiting APJ & the KANPE Foundation during Grand Prix F1 Weekend at the Ritz-Carlton.
The (APJ) Gala annually raises funds to provide accessible education in Haiti. Their mission is to encourage peace and social justice, working to alleviate poverty around the world. The organization has previously built a secondary school in Port-au-Prince which currently serves 3700 students and has issued 2000 scholarships under its Brilliant is Beautiful program supporting higher education for girls and women, among its many projects. Since the organization is working directly with Father Rick Frechette, who is actively supervising the project on-site in Haiti, 100% of funds raised go towards the school building projects and other scholarships.
KANPE means “to stand-up“, in creole. Founded in 2010, the Foundation focuses on six pillars that enable autonomy: health & nutrition, education, agriculture, entrepreneurship, leadership, and local infrastructure strengthening. KANPE is active in the Central Plateau region of Haiti, more specifically in the community of Baille Tourible, one of the most affected by declining agricultural production and poverty.
Co-hosts for this special sit down dinner include actor Yannick Bisson (Murdoch Mysteries), George Stroumboulopoulos and Suzanne Boyd along with Emcees Natasha Gargiulo (Virgin Radio) and Patrick Langlois (Rouge FM, Your Morning).
For this inaugural Montreal edition, Canadian Indie Rock Band Arcade Fire will receive the Peace and Justice Activist Award. Past honorees include Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Jackson Browne &Drew and Jonathan Scott.
Entertainment for the evening will include Régine Chassagne, Win Butler, Richard Reed Parry & Tim Kingsbury of Arcade Fire who will perform with Haitian singer Paul Beaubrun and Haitian DJ & producer Michael Brun. Montreal’s DJ Jerico will also be performing.
“We thought it was only fitting to expand our Canadian roots and bring this incredibly important evening to Montreal where the Haitian community is so strong,” said Natasha Koifman, Canadian Board Chair, US Board of Directors and Gala Co-Host.
Tickets and tables for the APJ Gala are available at APJMONTREAL.EVENTBRITE.COM.
Tables begin at $5,000 and individual tickets start at $500. Tax receipts will be issued.
Generous sponsors for this year’s event to-date include the Ritz-Carlton Montreal, Air Canada and NKPR.
For more information on the organization or to make a donation please visit http://www.apjnow.org or follow @artistsforpeace on social media.