Monday 4 August 2014

Third benefit concert to feature Musicians of the World Orchestra on Tuesday, August 26th in CSL

The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee (CSLCC), established less than four years ago, will hold a fundraising concert on Tuesday, August 26 (7:30 p.m.) at the former Wagar High School (5785 Parkhaven).  Featured performers will be the Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Milo.

Funds raised from  The Music We Love: Best of the Classics –  the Cat’s Meow will go towards the CSLCC’s Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt Program and Educhat, the volunteer organization headed by Shelley Schecter, which has spearheaded efforts in Côte Saint-Luc and elsewhere. There are many feral cats in the community. The CSLCC’s team of volunteers sets out to trap as many as possible, have them sterilized and then adopted or returned to the spot where they were originally found. The committee has also rescued a number of  kittens and found homes for them. The city’s first ever cat licensing bylaw was adopted last fall.

This year’s concert will be held in the memory of former Mayor Bernard Lang, who passed away recently.  Mayor Lang was a cat lover and attended meetings of the CSLCC. For many years he and his wife Miriam kept hungry homeless cats nourished. The CSLCC will also honour Diane Liebling for her extraordinary efforts in fostering so many homeless cats.

Councillor Mike Cohen, who is the city’s official liaison to the committee, notes that the concert will be an opportunity for people who love animals to enjoy an evening of fine music while contributing to a good cause. In addition to the Orchestra,   soprano Brigitte O’Halleran will perform.

The Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra (MWSO) was founded in 2006 by conductor  Milo and his wife Lucy Ravinsky. This one of a kind orchestra was formed when it was discovered that a great pool of professional musicians, recently immigrated to Montreal, had no opportunity to make use of their valuable talent in their new home. The MWSO was created, not only to provide these new Canadians with the opportunity to engage in their main passion; making beautiful music in an orchestral setting, but to give them back the professional dignity they had enjoyed in their homelands and most especially, to share their wonderful talents with the music lovers of Montreal.

The MWSO is composed of 55 musicians: about 80 percent of its members are from 15 countries around the world, while the remaining 20 percent are natives of Montreal who successfully facilitated the integration of the newcomers. To date, the orchestra has entertained Montreal audiences with over 30 performances, including several benefit concerts as well as having produced several recordings. The orchestra has also been selected as the subject of four documentary films. They have been rehearsing at Côte Saint-Luc City Hall for many years and as part of the arrangement, they agree to perform a free concert once a year. The CSL Cats Committee  and Educhat are  the 2014 beneficiaries.

Tickets are only $10 each (tax included) and can be purchased now at the following locations: the main desk at the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library (5851 Cavendish Boulevard); the Côte Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre (5794 Parkhaven Avenue); the Côte Saint-Luc Hospital for Animals (7930 Baily Road) and  at Global Pet Foods (5326 Queen Mary Road).

Tickets can be purchased at the first two locations by credit and debit card or cash and cash only at the Animal Hospital and Global Pet Foods.

Councillors Cohen and Sam Goldbloom note  that information will be available that night for people interested in possibly joining the committee or adopting a cat.

Global Pet Foods and Steve’s Music Store are sponsors of this event. The committee wishes to thank Jacques Monfette and his staff at the Marymount Adult Education Centre for their cooperation.

For more information call 514-485-6806, ext. 2200 or log on to www.cotesaintluc.org/cats.





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