Today, the “nation of Québec” (to use the words of its Prime Minister, Mr. Jean-François Legault) said good-bye to Mr. Jean-Pierre Ferland with a moving state funeral (government organizing website: https://shorturl.at/LBcvk; CPAC streaming: https://shorturl.at/uQouN).
Even if Bambi left Québec 20 years ago, Québec still lives in her. Indeed, this morning she was busy driving between Sackville, Chediac, and Moncton. Even if she could have spent more time out of town, she preferred to rush back home to watch Mr. Ferland’s funeral online. It was her small way of paying tribute to this French-Canadian legend.
Even if Mr. Jean-Pierre Ferland’s music will outlive him, his death closes a chapter of Québec’s history. Bambi did not want to miss this symbolic moment. Appreciated by all for both his talent and sweet personality, Mr. Ferland was known as the “Petit roi” [The Little King]. And what a cultural monarch! He was an inspiring writer (a productive poet) who wrote over 450 songs and released over 30 albums. Thanks to CPAC and City News for sharing this impressive information.
Ferland’s funeral included amazing tributes by family members, colleagues, musicians, friends, politicians, and priests. It was fully attended and we could see the moved faces of known artists as well as politicians (municipal, provincial, and federal). One thing is sure, everyone is a fan of Mr. Ferland.
Of note, all the eulogies were beautifully expressed. All the singers who performed Mr. Ferland’s songs were extraordinary (the CPAC link above shows them all). This being said, there were two performances that ended with standing ovations at the cathedral. One of them was the extraordinary Ms. Ginette Reno singing Un peu plus haut [A bit higher] (https://shorturl.at/ldowf). The other performance was a heart-wrenching yet beautiful duo of Une chance qu’on ça [Thank goodness we have each other] by Ms. Melissa Bédard and Ferland’s spouse, Ms. Julie-Anne Saumur. Bravo (https://shorturl.at/C2npz)!
In addition to the above, Bambi was touched by Mr. Claude Dubois singing Si Dieu existe [If God exists] (https://shorturl.at/lRJ28).
To conclude this post, thanks to the government of Québec for honouring Mr. Ferland with a state funeral. Many thanks to his beautiful family for generously allowing us to publicly share their sorrow. Lots of courage to them. As for Mr. Jean-Pierre Ferland, may his soul rest in peace and may his memory be eternal.
As they say in French “I don’t come back!”