The Notre-Dame Basilica (Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal) has nothing to do with its namesake cathedral in Paris to which it bears a slight resemblance. It is, however, a beautiful and historically significant house of worship in its own right.
This post will differ from most others on this blog, in that it’s more in the style of a memoir telling a story – a story involving events that occurred all the way back in August 2010. I was making a weekend visit to Montreal, partly because I was interested to see that city for the first time but also partly because I had (to that point) sung in 17 countries and I felt it was about time that I karaoked in Canada. In fact, upon arriving at Montreal’s Pierre Trudeau International Airport, I joyfully declared to the immigration agent that the purpose of my trip was to add Canada to my World Karaoke Tour. 🙂 (He seemed a little confused, but allowed me to enter the country.) So this story is about whether, that weekend, I would succeed in my quest to karaoke in Canada for the first time.
By the time I got checked into my hotel in Montreal, it was late on Friday night (about 11 pm) and I was too tired to go out. So I took it easy. While I thought about looking for karaoke immediately, I decided that I could wait one more night for my initial singing appearance in the land of maple leaves. But would that initial appearance end up happening?
Pre-karaoke sightseeing
On Saturday, I started the day by riding the Metro to Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal), a historic district with some buildings dating back to the city’s early days in the 17th century. My first stop in Old Montreal was the Notre-Dame basilica, a beautiful church that looks a little like its Parisian namesake (although the two churches have nothing to do with each other). I wanted to have a look at the interior, but during that afternoon it was closed to the public because several weddings were being held inside. However, an employee told me that a son et lumière (sound and light) show was being offered inside the church in the evening. I bought a ticket for the 7 pm show; since the show was to last about 35 minutes, it would let out early enough to still allow me plenty of time to make it to karaoke later on that night. Continue reading
H-Bomb's Worldwide Karaoke 