Saturday night, Montreal Gospel Choir was on the way home from participating in the Leukemia and Lymphoma fundraiser / memorial called “Illumine la nuit” (Light the Night) and since we were on Île Notre Dame, most of us ended up on the Montreal-bound platform of Metro Jean Drapeau while 7 or 8 of our most enthusiastic choir members were headed to the South Shore on the platform opposite us.

I knew that something was going to happen (because it just does with this group) so I started up my iPhone camera and roamed the platform just as the choir spontaneously ignited into the brilliant French adaptation of Mary Mary’s “Shackles” that we know as “Rien Ne Pourra Plus Jamais M’Arrêter”. Jean Daniel Painson had already staked out a prime spot with his camera next to where Junior, Saryka, Perrine & Nancia (who sing the verses) were.

If this video goes viral, it would be a great thing just because it happened so spontaneously (no one did any planning to prepare this).  What must be said is that Jean Daniel does work like this with his camera all-the-time.  At Montreal Gospel Choir rehearsals, if it breathes, it’s captured by Jean Daniel.  He’s a guy who just consistently works his art.  Montreal Gospel Choir might be described as Jean Daniel’s muse as SO many artistic, beautiful things happen in this community called together with raison d’être “choir”. So Jean Daniel just keeps the camera rolling – le voila, a video posted on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/montrealgospel

I’d really like to thank as well, Janick Labet and the group Real Touch who were the ones that did the French adaptation of Shackles and recorded it in a Paris metro station. Montreal Gospel Choir scours the world looking for new material – “on est branché partout”. Give us a rhythmic song like this and “how can we keep from singin'”!!  What a beautiful thing from a beautiful choir.