The Midsummer Music Dream Festival is a collaboration between volunteers who work to promote cultural development in the Granit MRC and a group of American musicians who are passionate about the region. The festival has been presenting classical music concerts since 2006, featuring guest artists from all over the world. In addition, the festival has presented many world premieres including two pieces commissioned in 2022 in honor of municipalities that have played an integral role in the festival.
The festival’s mission is to create an environment where musicians and communities in the Eastern Townships collaborate in a project dedicated to excellence in musicianship and performance. High quality classical music concerts are offered in a wide range of municipalities of the Granit MRC and its surroundings. Among the targeted audiences, a significant effort is made to reach children and young adults as well as people who do not usually have access to these concerts.
In 2023, the festival will run from July 28 to August 6 and will offer a series of 10 concerts in several municipalities throughout the region. Performances will include instrumentalists and singers from the vocal studio. There will be a special concert of music written by Canadian composers celebrating the 175th anniversary of the founding of Lambton as well as many chamber music concerts. Festival musicians will also present free children’s and farmers’ market concerts.
PROGRAMMING
Musiciens de Songe d’été en musique
Médiathèque Nelly-Arcand, Lac-Mégantic
Harris Becker & Laura Lessard, guitars
Musique de Hirsh, De Falla, Bach, Goss, Williams, Lennon/McCartney & Vivaldi
Free
Solo Piano & Chamber Music for Voices and Instruments
St-Vital Church
Opening concert of the festival
General Admission: $20
Buy your ticketsSongs from American Musical Theater and French Melodie
Maison du Granit
Airs from the American musical theatre and French melodies; concert presented by the young singers from the Festival’s Vocal Studio.
Free
Famous oratorios and sacred works for voice and organ
Église Sainte-Agnès, Lac-Mégantic
Noby Ishida, organ and artists of the opera vocal studio
The concert will feature the organ of the church of Sainte-Agnès with solos of the organist and sung works accompanied to the organ
General Admission 20$
Buy your ticketsStrings and More
Maison du Granit
Concert presented by the musicians of the Midsummer Music Dream Festival.
Free
A Night at the Opera
St-Vital Church
An evening of Opera Arias and ensembles featuring works of Mozart, Massenet, Delibes, Puccini and others. Presented by young artists from the Festival’s Vocal Studio.
General Admission: $20
Buy your ticketsA family musical event
Centre sportif de Lac-Mégantic
Stories and songs from The Magic Flute by Mozart and Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck.
Free
A musical celebration from yesterday to today
St-Vital Church
This concert is part of the Lambton 175th Anniversary celebrations. It will include pieces by Canadian composers from the time of Lambton’s founding, traditional songs and pieces written by Quebec poets.
General Admission: $20
Buy your ticketsMusic from the Renaissance to the Present
Church of St-Romain
Closing concert with Festival musicians and singers. Music for voices and instruments, including madrigals and songs for soloists with lutes, recorders, guitars and strings. Music by Dowland, Morley, Campion, Schubert and Britten.
General Admission: $20
Buy your ticketsAn Evening of Guitar
Médiathèque Nelly Arcand, 3700, Lemieux Street, Lac-Mégantic
Harris Becker, Laura Lessard and Claude Laflamme, guitars
Dowland, Tedesco, Spiroff, Albeniz, Piazzolla, Lennon-McCartney and La Flamme music.
Free
Outdoor Concert at the public market
Église de Saint-Romain, 327, rue de l’Église, Saint-Romain
With the musicians of the Midsummer Music Dream Festival.
Free
Opening concert
Église St-Vital, 209, rue Principale, Lambton
Singers and instrumentalists with guest artist Claude LaFlamme, Harp Guitar.
General admission 20$
Solo Piano
Polyvalente de Lac-Mégantic, 3409, rue Laval, Lac-Mégantic (Salle Montignac)
Music of Bach, Schumann, Beethoven and Spiroff (World Premiere)
General admission 25$
Buy your ticketsA Musical Celebration for Voices and Instruments
La Cène du Lac, 20, rue Saint-Jacques, Beaulac-Garthby
Goss, Tedesco, Domeniconi, Dowland, Debussy and Schubert music.
General admission 20$
Les artistes du studio vocal
Maison du Granit, 301, route du Morne, Lac-Drolet
Free
Music in Time & Space
Parc du Lac Aylmer, 505, Chemin du Domaine Aylmer, Stratford
Musicians, singers and Claude Laflamme, guitar. Music of Albeniz, Lennon/McCartney, LaFlamme, Domeniconi, Goss Dowland, Massenet and Bach.
General admission 20$
Explorations
Église Saint-Alphonse de Stornoway 505, Route 108, Stornoway
Musicians and singers and Claude Laflamme, guitar. Piazzolla, Debussy, Bach, Albeniz, LaFlamme and Hope music.
General admission 20$
Oratorios and Sacred Works for Organ, Voices and Cello
Église Sainte-Agnès, 4872, rue Laval, Lac-Mégantic
Artists from the studio vocal d’opéra, Noby Ishida and Maureen Hynes, cello. Handel, Gounod, Schubert, Franck and Boccherini music.
General admission 20$
An Afternoon of Music
Parc du Grand Lac Saint-François, 158, Chemin J-Cyrille Bureau, Lambton
Free
Concert des enfants
Centre sportif de Lac-Mégantic, 5400, rue Papineau, Lac-Mégantic
Free
Night at the Opera
Église St-Vital, 209, rue Principale, Lambton
Arias and opera ensembles; presented by the young artists of the opera studio of the festival Songe d’été en musique.
General admission 20$
Recorder, strings and more
Maison du Granit, 301, route du Morne, Lac-Drolet
Tedesco, Hope, Dowland, Granados and Bach music.
Free
Let’s celebrate French music
Église St-Vital, 209, Principale Street, Lambton
Canadian composers, traditional songs and pieces written by Quebec poets.
General admission 20$
Final Concert
Église de Saint-Romain, 327, rue de l’Église, Saint-Romain
Closing concert with the musicians and singers of the Festival. Music for voice and instruments, with lute and guitars.
General admission 20$
Gallery
