1996 l'International Benson & Hedges Montréal Pyromusical Competition Report

Canada Celestial Imagery Sunday July 14^th, 1996

Ampleman

A heavy early evening thunderstorm theatened to wash out the home team's display but the clouds cleared away to leave a perfect, though humid, summer evening. However, I think the earlier rain did cause some problems - more on this later. Two things were immediately striking, the size of the crowd and also the amount of product which appeared to be set up on the shoot site. This display promised to be different since it was to be composed of several tableaux, each designed by a different artificier - the French term for a pyrotechnical artist. A laser projector was used to draw a clown-like face to introduce each scene.

The introduction began with glitter candles and mines moving into bombette candles. These were followed by some big colour shells and finally a volley of salutes fired from mines.

The first tableau began with bright strobe pots and two Nigara falls type set pieces - though one of them only partially ignited, probably because of the earlier torrential rain. Then colour star and whistle candles with glitter comet turning to colour shells above. Next, some bright white fountains with bombette candles and also some horizontal wheels. Above these, large colour shells and then more colour candles below and bombettes at the middle level. These then changed to crossed candles and a barrage of mines with a large glitter mine in the centre with comet turning to glitter shells above and comet-to-colour shells also. Finally, a number of firefly shells which ended with a volley of salutes.

The second tableau began with fountains and two girondolas; unfortunately, only one of them made it into the air! Above these were some nice shaped-burst shells which produced dual concentric five-pointed stars and other shapes such as bows and rings. Then a barrage of mines of white electric stars with firefly shells above and then a barrage of tourbillon mines. After this shells of white comets, then colour shells, then shells of charcoal comets turning into colour stars; then glitter comet shells and then silver glitter frond shells. Finally, a barrage of palm-tree effect shells finishing with a number of firefly shells which ended with a volley of salutes.

The third tableau began with golden glitter comet candles and then bombettes. Then a volley of palm-trees followed by large charcoal-to-colour and colour shells above and then whistling salute mines. A barrage of big mines was followed with more bombettes with colour shells above. Then white comet shells and shells with bright white rising comets exploding into colour and glitter moving rapidly into a barrage of blue and gold mines. Several fleur-de-lys shaped setpiece fountains followed with whirly go-getters shells and crossed bombette crackling comets below. Then the fountains turned into a glitter comet set piece which shot out comets at various angles with bombettes above. Next, a mixture of white comets, charcoal comets and fireflies. Then some big colour mines and candles, a volley of salutes and then some very bright white star shells followed by charcoal comet shells. Then a fan-shaped comet set piece and some six-pointed star fountains with glitter comet shells above and coloured tourbillons. Above these, comet-to-colour shells and then colour and tourbillon candles below. Then there was a large barrage of mines with some very big colour shells above and finally a barrage of titanium salutes. Unfortunately though, the music had stopped several seconds before the fireworks at this point.

The fourth tableau began with crossed charcoal comets with charcoal comet-to-colour shells above. Then white comet turning into firefly shells then bright white rising comet shells exploding into tourbillons and blue and gold comets. Then a barrage of golden glitter mines with blue and gold shells above and other colours and gold. Then more mines with some very bright colour shells and tourbillon shells. Next, a barrage of charcoal mines and shells of blue stars and golden glitter fronds followed by white comet to colour shells. Next, white comet to firefly shells and then flower shells. Then some big mines and then mines with stars which broke into a myriad smaller stars of the same colour. Above this, some go-getter shells and then some glitter mines and blue and charcoal shells. Then more big mines with colour shells above and more dual-concentric five pointed stars. Then a barrage of palm trees followed by shells of small bright colour stars with multi-coloured candles below. Then a barrage of many colour, comet, and glitter comet shells. Finally, shells of comets terminating in salutes and some large comet-to-colour shells.

The fourth tableau continued with fountains in the lake with a volley of salutes above. Then mines of whistling tourbillons followed by firefly shells. Then whistling tourbillon mines with multi-break shells above and a volley of salutes. Next shells of crackling comets and then colour stars followed by shells of stars and hummers. Then glitter shells and shells of bright orange stars followed by tourbillon mines, crackling comet mines, vertical spinning wheels, then a volley of salutes and colour shells. These were followed by big comet shells, with glitter comets ending up as fireflies. Next blue and gold shells with a sort of go-getter effect but slow, and a strange square fountain set piece which was difficult to see for smoke. Then palm tree shells with very bright rising comet trunks, followed by white comet shells, a volley of salutes, some glitter frond shells and some multi-break fast go-getter colour shells. Next, a barrage of mines with colour shells above and then a line of fountains on the ground. Above these, mines of white comets ending in salutes and also firefly and whistle shells and glitter and colour shells. Then some very large glitter and colour shells which ended up as very fast flashing, very bright strobe stars. These were followed by shaped bursts of double rings and double five-pointed stars followed by big flower shells and a volley of salutes.

The fifth tableau began with some very large flares and fountains in the centre followed by colour bombettes and crossette candles. Then mines of the myriad break stars with go-getter shells above. Next, some strobe pots with big colour shells above and some go-getters. Then comet-to-colour shells and multi-break shells of the myriad break stars followed by electric spreader shells which ended up as glitter fronds. Then some shaped-bursts and multi-break glitter fronds shells followed by glitter turning into firefly shells. Next silver glitter frond turning into colour star shells with the finale to this segment of the tableau being a large number of multi-break glitter frond shells and multi-break crackling fronds shells.

The fifth tableau continued with whistles and hummers with crossette candles and tourbillons. Then shells of the blue and charcoal slow go-getters. Then sliver glitter comet shells and white comet shells, followed by multi-break shells of colour ending in crackling stars and shells of tourbillons. Then flower type shells and more comet-to-colour shells followed by electric spreader shells ending in fireflies. Next some large charcoal comet to colour shells with colour mines below with horizontal comet and star candles then more big colour shells, more mines, then glitter frond shells and lots of whistles.

The finale began with big glitter mines, tourbillon salute mines, and whistling mines. Then big white comet shells, multi-breaks, big flower shells, more tourbillon salutes, electric spreader shells, huge mines and then a large volley of titanium salutes. Then there were some more colour and glitter shells which were anti-climatic to the salute volley.

This was an unusal display in that it lasted almost 40 minutes, plus it used lasers to animate a face to introduce each tableau. However, the nature of the display was naturally disjoined, which was a negative feature in my opinion. Also, the synchronization to the music ranged from good to downright lousy - especially in the finale when stuff kept going for a while after the music and after the final salute volley. Also, some stuff was still going off sporadically a few minutes later. These problems may have been caused by the earlier rain. With tighter presentation, this display would have been very enjoyable but I left with a feeling of anti-climax. However, this display was much better than the Ampleman display I saw in 1993.