This Wednesday will mark Montreal’s 375th anniversary. The celebrations for the 375th, as many Montrealers like to call it, have been going on all year long and will continue for the rest of the year.
Many special events occured this year because of the celebration, for instance Igloofest added two more weeks of celebration, and music to its usual timeline.
This Wednesday, however, is the big day, and if you’re wondering what the city is hosting then keep on reading!
The day will start and end with music to your ears. The chiming of the bells of the Saint-Joseph Oratory in Cote-Des-Neiges, will mark the beginning of the day, with the rest of the church bells of the Archdiocese of Montreal joining in and harmonizing around the city. As you are on your way to work, keep your ears open for the bells.
Later on that evening is the inaugural show that lights up the Jacques-Cartier bridge for 30 minutes beginning at 9:45 pm. This time keep your eyes and ears open as you look towards the bridge. Around 2, 800 lights will be synchronizing with the music from the Orchestre Metropolitain, directed by Yannick Nézet-Séguin as well as many of Montreal’s own up and coming musicians. The lights will represent the changing of seasons and illustrate Montreal’s mood as a barometer for the traffic flow or weather.
You can see the show from many spots in city! The most obvious one is from the Old Port of Montreal. You can also view it from the eastern side of the Jacques-Cartier bridge all along Notre Dame Street E. The lights will also be visible from the south shore. The Parc de la Voie Maritime or the Parc Marie-Victorin are ideal places. Avoid using your car to get to the area as roads will be pretty jam packed. Note that the Jacques-Cartier bridge will be closed between 9:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
The beauty of this show is that it’s interactive with its audience. Not only will the music be broadcasted live on ROUGE FM 107.3 but you can listen to the soundtrack live straight from your smart phone. All you have to do is download the free AmpMe app which will automatically synchronize the show to your phone so that you have a first hand experience while listening to the music.
For those of you who decide to go watch the show near the old port, around Place Jacques Cartier, starting at 8p.m. Wednesday night, AmpMe agents will be giving out 5,000 free speakers to those who have downloaded the app on their device!
For more information about the 375th anniversary of Montreal and the events that are coming up visit http://www.375mtl.com.
Photo credits: @mtlblog