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Le Mondial SAQ 2001
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

France If Saturday July 21st, 2001

Brezac Artifices, designed by Dominique Brezac, traditional electrical firing

"As the Mondial SAQ is the world's largest pyrotechnic event, Brezac Artifices wanted to do everything in its power to offer spectators, as well as the other seven presenting countries, a unique and dazzling pyrotechnic show," explained Dominique Brezac, Brezac Artifices designer and creator of the July 21st show. "In light of this, we wanted our fireworks to be equally evocative as emotionally stirring. Nothing seemed better suited to our objective than the life history of this millennium's children."

Hot summer weather brought out the crowds for the penultimate entrant in this year's competition. The theme of the display was the first twenty years of live of children born the in the new millennium, told through a ten-part display. Brezac were a very popular entrant at the debut display in 1997 in Montréal and the audience were eagerly antipating their return to the competition in 2001.

Part 1 to the music The Diva Dance by Eric Serra. The display began with gold glitter mines in the centre, then at the left and right hand sides augmented by shells of the same gold glitter above. This basic theme repeated and was amplified with more left and right mines and shells of gold glitter comets turning to strobes above, the segment coming to a close with a barrage of large gold glitter comet to gold strobe shells.

Part 2 to the music Unity by Catherine Lara. Mines of white strobes at a bottom and shells of white strobes above formed the repeating opening sequence for this segment. This continued with the strobe mines at the bottom, strobe-star shells at a medium and at a higher level, the number increasing through the segment. The segment came to a close with two huge mines of dazzling tiny strobe-stars.

Part 3 to the music Peter Pan by Larry Hochman. Fans of blue ball candles opened up and were followed by mines of blue stars and rockets bursting to clusters of blue stars. Then more mines of blue with shells of blue stars above and also shells of blue stars ending in small crackles. This them continued with blue mines below, fans of blue star candles and blue shells ending in small crackles above. The segment came to a close with a sky filling huge multi-break shell-of-shells of blue stars.

Part 4 to the music Tigre et Dragon by Tan Dun. Set pieces in the shape of green trees burst noisily to life. Then more set piece trees appeared to blossom into life and then more. These were followed by mines of bright stars ending in small crackles with fans of rockets bursting to bright colour clusters above. Then another flight of rockets. These were followed by tourbillon candles with shells of bright green comets to stars above and shaped-burst shells forming green shamrock patterns. More and more large bright green star shells and shells of comets to green stars were followed by bright mines with salutes, the segment coming to a close with barrages of green shells, with a couple of blue star shells in as well.

Part 5 to the music Jungle Book by George Bruns. A line of strobe pots lit up the front of the display area with mines of clusters of crackling crossette comets and medium level shells of the same. The number of crackling crossette comets increased with candles, bombettes and shells of these forming a nice three-level display. The number increased still further and then shells of stars ending in small crackles were added and shaped-burst shells of bowties surrounded by a ring. Then back to the crackling crossette comet theme with fans of these from candles, bombettes and higher-level shells of the same. Star shells ending in crackles were added back in, the segment coming to a pause with mines of the crackling comets and shells above. Well-synchronized mines firing from the left, right, middle and all three locations were followed by cakes of stars with bombettes above and bright colour shells above these. Then multi-break shell-of-shells of colour stars and star shells at a medium and high level followed by star-headed silver comet bombette candles below with more colour shells above and shells of strobes. These were followed by crossed fans of star candles with strobe shells above and then shells of deep blue followed by shells of weeping willow charcoal comets turning to blue. Then shells of crossing-stars mixed in with shells of stars ending in small crackles and weeping willow charcoal comet to colour shells above. These were followed by shells bursting to clusters of colour stars and shells of stars ending in crackles at a lower level. The segment came to a close with a huge weeping willow charcoal comet shell turning to colour and then to silver, filling the sky.

Part 6 to the music First Knight by Jerry Goldsmith. Fans of glitter comet candles and bombettes of pastel colours with shells of comets above opened this segment. These were followed by shells of thick comets and then shells of comets with pink stars and shells of crossette ball stars. Beneath these, mines of glitter comets followed by more shells of pink stars above. The lake then became filled with nautic flares turning to strobes and a line of pairs of fountains in wide Vs with alternating high and low pairs along the line. Wiggly comet shells and blue stars fired above as the fountains increased in size. These were followed by silver comet candles with star candles interleaved between them with comet shells above. Then kamuro shells at the highest level with comet shells at a lower level as the candles continued. More shells of comets to stars, the segment coming to a close with a really large shell as a line of strobes lit up the back of the display area.

Part 7 to the music Firedance by Bill Whelan. This segment began with cakes of tourbillons at the left hand side and 45° firing star candles firing to the left at the right hand side. Then star candles at 45° at the left and right with more tourbillon cakes. These were followed by mines of vivid colours with brilliant colour shells above with excellent blues and greens. Next, fans of comets and shells of comets and colour stars above and also shells of go-getter silver comets. Next, a repeating sequence of cakes of stars with barrages of bright blue star shells above and even high shells of larger blue stars at the top. Fans of rockets bursting to blue stars were followed by mines of clusters of brilliant blue stars and multi-colour bombettes above these. Above these, shells of long arcing pale gold comets, with colour shells at a lower level and cakes of blue stars at the bottom. This theme of blue star cakes, blue mid-level shells and the long arcing pale gold comets above continued and was followed by shells of blue stars ending in small crackles, weeping willows shells turning to blue, this latter sequence forming a repeating theme. The segment came to a close with shells of blue stars ending in crackles at a medium level and a huge weeping willow turning to blue above these.

Part 8 to the music Trainspotting by Bedrock. The techno pace of this segment's music was perfectly complimented by candles of titanium salutes and lines of strobe lances on the centre firing room. The titanium salutes continued with regular salutes below and shells of stars ending in a bright flash above, creating hypnotic flashes of light and sound. The whole segment continued with salutes at up to three different levels with shells of the flash stars and barrages of titanium salutes, the segment coming to a close with fans of rockets bursting to salutes.

Part 9 to the music from the film Gladiator by Hans Zimmer. A line of bright orange flares lit up the back of the display with shells of comets above and then red star candles. Above these, barrages of shells of very bright red stars. This sequence continued and then move to fans of tourbillon candles with shells of rings. Next, candles of wiggly comets with shells of rings of comets above and then bombettes below these. Shells of colour stars and comets were followed by shells of comets ending in crackles and more shells of rings of comets. Then shells of bright star-headed crossette comets and mines of bright red stars below and candles of red stars with silver tails. Above these, more of the bright red medium-height shells with shells of rings of comets coming next above these followed by shells of crossette comets and cakes of stars below. Then bright silver comet shells in flower-like opening clusters followed by more and more silver comet shells and multi-break shell-of-shells of silver comets with fans of silver glitter comet candles at the bottom level. The pace increased with barrages of shells of silver crossette comets and multi-break shell-of-shells in silver, the segment coming to a dramatic close with a deafening barrage of screaming silver comet serpents.

Part 10 to the music Reel around the Sun from Riverdance. The finale segment opened with mines of clusters of charcoal comets and the same in candles with kamuro shells above these. Then rising-tail shells bursting to kamuros with bombette candles of gold brocade comets with the same in shells at a higher level, forming three levels. This sequence repeated and was followed by rising-tail weeping-willow comet shells, some with salute terminated comets. More of these groves of weeping-willow charcoal comet rising tail shells followed by mines of brighter kamuro comets and shells of starfish clusters of kamuro comets above. These became brighter and larger in both shells and mines and then crossed comet fan candles of the same below. The theme and sequence continued, becoming quite mesmerizing as kamuros at all three levels with crossed fans of candles, clusters of kamuros and brocades above and at all levels. This theme continued and increased in number until the sky started to become completely filled with huge bright gold kamuros at all levels, with mines, candles, bombettes and shells at every level, becoming quite hypnotic with the music, the display coming to a close with the sky completely filled, to great cheers from the crowd.

This was an excellent display which was very much enjoyed by the crowd, especially the hypnotic finale, a nice change from the usual Italian-style finale often used. The richness of the colours used was excellent and good use was made of all three levels of the display. Synchronization was a bit slack in places but was tight when need and the rhythm and pace of the fireworks followed the music well. Judging by audience reaction, if nothing else, definitely in with a good chance of appearing on the winner's podium next week.

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Thanks to the public relations people of La Ronde for the official press release material, shown in white.