Montreal General Hospital Choir Saved from Disbandment by Community Intervention
An imminent silence has been averted as the MusiArt choir, which was scheduled to perform its final concert on March 19, now enjoys a renewed future. This music therapy ensemble, providing support to individuals with mental health challenges for 28 years, faced dissolution due to a funding shortfall. However, the community organization Les Impatients has stepped in to secure its survival.
New Partnership Ensures Continuity
The Montreal General Hospital Foundation has finalized an agreement with Les Impatients, a long-standing group dedicated to aiding those with mental health issues through artistic expression. Effective April, the MusiArt choir will operate under the auspices of Les Impatients, relocating to their facilities on St-Denis Street. Additionally, Julie Migner-Laurin, the choir co-director who was set to lose her position, will be retained by Les Impatients to work with the group one day per week. Dany Bouchard, the other co-director, will not join the move as he maintains his role as a music therapist in the MGH psychiatry department.
Background of the Funding Crisis
On January 20, choir members were informed that due to a deficit in MGH Foundation donations, which had been subsidizing the group, operations would cease. This news sparked significant public sympathy, especially given the modest annual cost of $40,000 to sustain the choir and Migner-Laurin's services. At a late-January rehearsal, members expressed devastation, highlighting how the choir has helped them manage conditions such as borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts.
Choir's Impact and History
Formed in 1998, the MusiArt choir comprises about 25 singers and musicians, originally established to support psychiatric patients at Montreal General Hospital. While some members have professional backgrounds, most are enthusiastic amateurs who have forged a tight-knit community. Over nearly three decades, this bilingual group has released three albums of original compositions and toured extensively across Canada and beyond.
Statements from Key Figures
Brian Thompson, president and CEO of the MGH Foundation, emphasized in a phone interview that this is not a temporary fix. "This will ensure the survival of the choir for the foreseeable future. This is a story of collaborating for positive impact," he stated. Thompson acknowledged being moved by the public's response, which also led to increased donations to the foundation.
Frédéric Palardy, executive director of Les Impatients, expressed enthusiasm about the integration. "Les Impatients are delighted and very much looking forward to welcoming the MusiArt choir into their new facilities," he said, noting the shared nearly three-decade history and the enduring benefits of artistic expression for mental health.
Dr. Richard Montoro, chair of the psychiatry department at the McGill University Health Centre, shared his gratitude. "I am so grateful that the donors are supporting the integration of MusiArt into the community, where they will continue to be ambassadors of the life-changing benefits of arts-based therapies," he remarked.
Relief and Mixed Emotions Among Members
Julie Migner-Laurin, a psychologist specializing in music therapy, voiced relief that MusiArt will continue, along with the Women's Music Therapy Circle at the Allan Memorial Institute. However, she noted ongoing cuts in her workload at the Allan. "The sad part is that Dany, who has been with the choir longer than me, won't be with us at Les Impatients. We will all be grieving that fact," she added.
John Jordan, a saxophonist and long-time choir member with bipolar disorder, described the choir as a blessing that combats isolation. "Choir members will certainly be ecstatic knowing that MusiArt lives," he said, anticipating lighter rehearsals. "That shroud of stress hanging over all of us should disappear." Jordan also raised concerns about broader issues, such as government cuts shifting outpatient treatment to the private sector.
Upcoming Performances
The MusiArt choir will present concerts on March 17 at noon at the Cedar Avenue entrance of Montreal General Hospital and on March 19 at 11 a.m. in the presentation room of the Allan Memorial Institute. Admission is free, celebrating the group's continued existence.
