HMF launches new concert series in underutilized theatre

A new series of concerts and dance events will bring new life to an underutilized theatre in Vaudreuil-Dorion this year, featuring an eclectic mix of renowned performers from around the world. Produced by the Hudson Music Festival (HMF), the series of eight events will be held at the PaulÉmile Meloche Theatre, on the campus of École secondaire de la Cité-des-Jeunes (400 St. Charles Ave.). The series is funded in part by a $10,000 grant from the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Arts Council. HMF executive director Lynda Clouette-Mackay said for the past 30 years, the Paul-Émile Meloche Theatre has been used mainly as a venue for local student productions and other community events, but she said it is equipped to do so much more. “All the technical installation is there. It’s a theatre that was running very well in the ’70s and ’80s, but for the last 25 or 30 years they kind of let it go, because no one would take the risk to produce,” she said. The series began on Sept. 29 with a concert by the Montreal Guitar Trio. Tickets are currently on sale for the next three concerts, featuring Senegalese kora master Zal Sissokho and Buntalo on Oct. 27, Ron Di Lauro’s classic jazz ensemble on Nov. 24 and Acadian music from Edith Butler on Dec. 7. In the new year, the series con- tinues with Cuban jazz from the Yoel Diaz Ensemble on Feb. 9, Francophone pop singer Sally Folk on March 9, Indian world music from Autorickshaw on April 13 and a performance of contemporary dance set to music by Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash by Toronto dance group Citadel + Compagnie on June 15. Tickets are $30 per show or $75 for a three-show pass, and are available by phone at 514-295-6017 or via the Hudson Music Festival’s Facebook page. More details on the performances are available online at tpem.ca. Although the HMF, which is run by Clouette-Mackay with husband Blair Mackay, is known for organizing Hudson’s annual summer music festival, Clouette-Mackay said despite the name, the organization does much more than just program concerts for the 10day event. The concert series in Vaudreuil-Dorion is the next step in the Hudson Music Festival’s evolution from local festival organizer to regional concert producer. The HMF, which marked its 12th year this summer, has steadily expanded its scope in the past few years. In addition to the festival, it now organizes a monthly Upstage Series in collaboration with the Château du Lac, bringing top-quality performers to the Hudson bar throughout the year. In warmer weather the organization also programs the Barn Series of concerts at the 2 Barn Owls art gallery, also in Hudson. In addition to her involvement in the HMF, Clouette-Mackay also launched an annual puppet festival in Hudson last year, which will be returning next month, and is the general manager and artistic director of the cultural centre in Hawkesbury. With their deep roots in the arts, Clouette-Mackay said she and Mackay immediately saw the potential for the theatre. “I realized we had a theatre here, but it was sleeping, so we decided to do something about it. It was natural for us,” she said. “This theatre just needs love, that’s what it needs. It’s beautiful and it’s all ready for a big show.”