“It’s a magnificent day, and it’s an honor to be with you,” said singer Diane Dufresne to the nearly 100,000 people who came to admire the total solar eclipse at Jean-Drapeau Park before singing her grand song, Hymn to the beauty of the world. “The world is you,” she said with emotion.
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Hard to think of a better choice than Hymn to the beauty of the world to highlight this historic moment hosted by Sophie Fouron, after a magnificent delayed performance of Wagner from the Orchester Métropolitain conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
Just before the total eclipse, Diane Dufresne offered a gripping performance accompanied by music from the Orchester Métropolitain. The audience maintained an almost solemn silence while listening to him sing this piece which sadly turns out to be more and more topical. She interspersed it with words of her success Oxygen.
Coming off stage, the 79-year-old great performer hurried to observe the total eclipse behind the scenes under the open sky. “It’s sublime!” she said. Overcome with great emotion, the artist confided to Newspaper: “If every day, people turned towards the sky, all together at a certain time, I think it would change the world. The beauty of the world is the world. It’s the world that can change it.”
Singer Diane Dufresne in an interview on the sidelines of her show as part of the observation of the eclipse by Jean-Drapeau, in Montreal, Monday, April 8, 2024. SCREENSHOTS TVA NOUVELLES/AGENCE QMI
TVA NEWS/QMI AGENCY
Between laughter, music and observation of the eclipse with the appropriate glasses, Parc Jean-Drapeau indeed had all the appearance of a collective moment of rare beauty.
Dancing under the eclipse
No songs on the theme of the eclipse for DJ Champion, who preferred to focus on raising a gently joyful atmosphere. “The eclipse reminds me of love,” he confided to Newspaper. It’s the fun to see so many people wanting to connect together.”
Under the beating sun, the rather calm crowd of all ages indulged in a few waddles between activities on the eclipse and speeches by the mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, and astronaut David Saint-Jacques , the astronomer Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, etc.
After the total eclipse, a strong emotional moment which generated exclamations and applause, the party resumed with a vengeance with DJ Champion to mark this historic event.