Festival de la Voix set to transport you

The singing voice and its power of diversity is the focus of the West Island-based Festival de la Voix, which begins with a St. Patrick’s Day Concert at the L’Entrepôt concert hall in Lachine this Friday. The morning performance features Irish dance, world-renowned Irish flutist Dave Gossage, guitarist Patrick Lesyk, fiddler Kate BevanBaker and Irish-Canadian soprano Colleen Bartley. It starts at 10:30 a.m. and tickets cost $10. In all, the fifth edition of the Festival de la Voix has six concerts appealing to a variety of tastes and five workshops serving both the beginner and the seasoned pro. “There is something about a beautiful voice that can make me burst into tears,” festival artistic director Kerry-Ann Kutz said. New this year is the Musique de chez nous concert, at the Norwegian Cultural Association/Lakeshore Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Lachine, March 24. Sharing the stage are roots/ blues singer and songwriter Rob Lutes, kora virtuoso Zal Sissokho and Kutz with Monique Fauteux (formerly of the group Harmonium). The playlist covers everything from Gilles Vigneault to Leonard Cohen. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets cost $10. The concert Broadway in Beaconsfield is at Christ Church Beaurepaire, March 18. And this time, the audience gets to belt out a song or two. Laura CoulterLow, Suzanne Rigden and Brandon Howard Roy perform selections from some of Broadway’s biggest hits and then the audience is invited to join in. The singalong playlist includes Sunrise Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof and Do Re Mi from the Sound of Music. It’s at 3 p.m., with tickets costing $20. The Grand Concert: Music That’s Out Of This World is at Église de la Présentation in Dorval, March 23. Its theme is reflected in the musical choices of the multi-awardwinning Ensemble Caprice — playing excerpts of Vivaldi’s Gloria with recorder virtuoso Matthias Maute — the Choeur Vox Aeterna with soprano Samantha-Louis Jean directed by Margo Keenan and the versatile Neptune Vocal Ensemble with its selection of arrangements by renowned vocalist and jazz musician Ward Swingle. It begins at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $30, or $25 for seniors and students. The following afternoon, the Golden Voices concert is at Dorval Strathmore United Church. The program is dedicated to seniors and their families and features performances by the women’s barbershop group Acappella Sounds directed by Tracey Larder, the McGill Conservatory Youth Choir directed by Penni Clark, soprano Chantal Parent with pianist Michael Woytiuk and accordionist Daniel Benedetti. 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15. The closing concert Choralissimo, at Église St-Joachim in PointeClaire, features four Montreal choirs. It’s on March 25 at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $25, or $20 for seniors and students. For a complete list of workshops and registration information and for festival details, visit www.festivaldelavoix.com.