After the opening movement that illustrates the mixture of French and West African cultures, the next movement, the Gloria, needs to make a strong Haitian musical statement. This will show the audience what new music resulted from this mixture. Naturally, this movement needs to be set to an unabashed konpa groove. While Jamaica has reggae,…

My last name is McClure, so I have some pretty strong Celtic roots. While St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated today in several cities across Quebec, I had one of the most unusual St. Patty’s Days of my life. Louise and I drove to Montreal. I bought some spectacular French cheese at the farmers’ market. I…

I had a fascinating discussion today with author and economist Eddy Cave and musician Rene Desrosiers. Eddy was born in Haiti but has lived 44 years of his life in Quebec. He worked for the International Monetary Fund and several other international organizations. He is currently working on an initiative in Haiti to bridge the…

I really enjoyed last weekend’s rehearsal of the choir. They continue have a beautiful, balanced sound under Tiphaine’s baton. I worked with this choir several times over the last 10 years under their last director Robert Filion. Robert is now teaching at a fine high school with an excellent music program. I hope to see…

I met with Anne Contant to arrange a lecture at the Conservatoire. This small school for musicians trains some of the most talented young musicians in the area. She has offered a 2 hour time slot to share the Missa Kreyol project with the whole student body. I will give a presentation on how indigenous…