Noël Lyrique

Do you love Christmas, its gatherings, colors, and lights, and wish to discover new pieces to add to your holiday classics?  

Come experience Noël lyrique, a refreshing and accessible concert showcasing hidden treasures from the choral repertoire of great composers. From the soulful gospels of William Dawson to the celestial sounds of Francis Poulenc, Christmas suddenly takes on the air of a mythical legend in this captivating performance for the whole family. 

Under the musical direction of Pascal Germain-Berardi, the Temps Fort choir, a brilliant vocal ensemble from Montreal’s music scene, promises a performance rich in emotion, full of history, and imbued with soulful depth. 

Temps Fort lyrical ensemble 
Pascal Germain-Berardi, conductor 

Raised in the humble neighborhoods of Ville-Émard and Saint-Henri in Montreal, Pascal Germain-Berardi is a conductor, composer, and metal vocalist driven by a powerful survival instinct and an unwavering passion for music. 

In addition to his role with Temps Fort, Pascal is the conductor of Ensemble Forestare (a guitar orchestra) and assistant conductor with the Voces Boreales choir (dir. Andrew Gray), where he organizes masterclasses with renowned figures in the choral world such as Simon Carrington, Gabriel Crouch, and Andrew Megill. He is currently completing a doctorate in orchestral conducting at the Université de Montréal and also works as a consultant, vocal coach, and conducting coach with the Growlers Choir, the world’s first metal singers’ choir. 

A lover of intense music, his heart beats just as strongly to the works of classical masters such as Beethoven, Bruckner, and Liszt as it does to extreme metal bands like Strapping Young Lad, Vektor, and Decapitated. His own band, Archetype, has been recognized for its bold compositions and energetic performances. 

 Pascal has had the privilege of studying conducting with Bramwell Tovey (Vancouver Symphony), Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Orchestre Métropolitain), Jon Washburn (Vancouver Chamber Choir), Joseph Flummerfelt (New York Philharmonic), Ovidiu Balan (Orchestre Symphonique de Bacau), Andrew Megill (OSM Choir, University of Illinois), Jean-François Rivest, and Paolo Bellomia (Université de Montréal). As a conductor, he has also had the opportunity to work with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Drummondville Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Philharmonia PKF, the Bacau Symphony Orchestra, the Dresdner Philharmoniker, Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal, and the choir of the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal.