Le Mondial SAQ 2004
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Spain Saturday July 10^th, 2004 Music of My Heart

Pirotécnia Caballer [Gold Jupiter, 1986 and 1993] Designed by Rafael Garcìa Barat Electronic firing; ~4000 cues

Based near Valencia, Spain, this century-old pyrotechnical firm has won numerous international awards and distinctions, including two Gold, two Silver and one Bronze Jupiter at the Montréal International Fireworks Competition. The firm's entry in this year's Coupe du Monde SAQ, "Music of My Heart", is a grand pyromusical ode filled with hundreds of extraordinary pyrotechnical effects that pay a moving tribute to the music that inspires our lives.

Thunderstorms and rain in the early afternoon threatened to dampen festivities for the second Spanish display of the competition, but skies magically cleared out to leave perfect conditions for the display. The 100,000 people on the pont Jacques Cartier probably thought otherwise by the end of the display though! Anticipation for this display was very high, especially after noticing the very large number of candle and comet positions set up on ramp three and the addition of an extra set of seven floating platforms, which we'll call ramp 5 in the report. My expectation was particularly elevated after seeing Rafael Garcìa Barat's magnificent display during the 7^th International Symposium on Fireworks held in Valencia last October.

Part 1 to the theme music from Planet of the Apes by D. Elman. A narration with a girl talking to her grandfather about their favourite music became a running theme throughout the display and was used to introduce each segment, the music starting after the sound of a vinyl record (with crackles and pops) preceeding each piece of music. A large set piece in the shape of a dove traced out in white lances lit up as white strobe pots fired at the back of the display. Then a sequence of mines left, right and up followed be sequences of comets in fans to the left and right. These were followed be fans of meteor headed thick gold comets as nautic strobes lit up in the lake. Then mines of thick comets with glitter stars and larger thick meteor comets above these. Next, shell-of-shells of salutes with meteor comets angled to the right below. This theme continued and was followed by shells of crackling electric comets with the same in comet sequences below. This theme also continued and was followed by mine sequences moving in a fan from left to right, the segment coming to an end with blue shells and flame projectors on ramp 5.

Part 2 to the music Strangers in the Night by F. Sinatra. After the introductory narration, blue nautic flares lit up in the lake with serpent mines above. Then a sequence of bright blue candles with the same in bombettes above and then shells above these and mines below. A front of big blue mines was followed by shells of green strobes and shells of gold glitter turning to strobes. Fans of comets fired on ramp 5 as more gold glitter shells and the same in comets below. These were followed by large shells of strobes with one-by-one mines below. Then huge orange mines and the same in shells above and then shells of orange strobes. The segment came to a close with shells of mixed white and orange strobes.

Part 3 to the music Tous les visages de l'amour by C. Aznavour. After the introductory narattion, flares lit up at the back and were augmented by glitter mines. Double ascension girandolas rose into the air, then fell and then rose again. Then another flight of glittering girandolas. These were followed by volleys of shells of comets with glittering pistils and and multiple barrages of shaped-burst shells in the form of red hearts. After these, meteor headed gold comets angled to the left with bombettes of glitter and fireflies above these and shells of glitter comets above these. Then a repeating sequence of comet shells with strobing pistils, mines and meteor comets below, the segment coming to a close with a volley or large silver kamuro shells, trailing to the lake.

Part 4 to the theme music Schindler's List by J. Williams. Blue flares lit up at the back during the narration and then shells of white go-getters and shells of white crossette comets. These were reapeated and followed by shells of white go-getters going very well with the serene music. Huge fans of purple stars were augmented by shells of purple-headed white comets. This theme continued and was followed by shells of glitter comets and blue stars. Next, shells of orange go-getters and shells of crackle and then shells of purple and more orange go-getters. Big orange fans with bombettes above were followed by shells of pale gold comets with pastel heads. Then bombettes of crackle with fans of orange stars in front and mines of orange stars with crackle. A return to the theme of white go-getters and then shells of mixed colour go-getters as a mine of salutes to the left exploded below, surely out of place. The segment came to a close with a barrage of shells of go-getters.

Part 5 to the music Smile by J. Barry. After the narration, a pair of glitter mines and then nautic flares lit up in the lake with the same flares at the back of the display area. A bombardment of gold kamuros was augmented by three fans of bright stars in quick succession, rather too bright for the kamuros. The gold kamuros continued and were then replaced by the same but in a paler gold as flame projectors on ramp 5 licked into the air. Crossed glitter candles and meteor-headed thick gold comets fired as the kamuros continued above and became star-tipped. Many crossed glitter comets below fired as volleys of huge kamuros, some with pistils, fired above and filled the sky as they trailed to the lake. The segment came to a close with particularly large kamuros which exploded into salutes just as the comets were coming towards the ground. A meteor comet candle to the left kept firing a little bit after the end of the segment.

Part 6 to the music Mais que nada by the Tango Girls. More nautical flares lit up with flares at the back after the narration concluded. Then fans of glitter mines as nautic shells exploded in the lake. Above these, fantastic shells of bright colour headed gold comets - each comet a different colour as mines continued below in the centre and more nautic shells burst into the lake. These were followed by large farfalle shells with multi-coloured pistils with candles of tourbillons below. Even large farfalles burst into the air, some with double rings of tourbillons. These were followed by shells of silver crossettes as fans of stars danced to the music below. More shells of crossettes above and large nautic shells below were followed by big fans of colour stars and shells of multi colour stars. This theme was augmented by the same in nautic shells with fines and fantastic contrasting shells of orange and purple, also in nautics. Next the colour theme continued with fans of orange and then purple and more nautic shells. The segment came to a close with very fast paced shots of bright glitter mines with big fans of stars in front and more nautic shells.

Part 7 to the music Duel of the Fates by J. Williams. After the narration, strobes lit up at the back and nautic strobes lit up in the lake. A flight of rockets burst to orange falling leaves which became white strobes. Then another flight of the same in the centre and then again at the right. A huge fan of stars and then shells of blue turning to silver above and very bright fans of meteor comets below. This theme continued and was augmented by shell-of-shells above in colours, then the same in silver comets and in orange also. Angled comet shots on ramp 5 were followed by mines to the left with barrages of large shells of glitter comets above. Then more mines of ramp 5 and huge shell-of-shells of silver comets, filling the sky. Barrage after barrage of the shell-of-shells were followed by whistling serpent mines with shells of blue stars and starfish comets above and barrages of salutes at a lower level. The pace increased with massive barrages of huge shells with mines below, causing me to write wow in my notes as the segment came to an end.

Part 8 to the music Rejoyce by D. Arkenstone. After the narration, a countdown of drums was accented by suspended flash bombs alternating between left and right with the pace increasing as the music did though the synchronization was a little bit off on the really fast part. Then mines fired on ramp 5 on the chord stabs in the music with shells of strobes and comets above. More left and right angled mines on the chords as huge shells of glitter with pistils fired above. Shell-of-shells to crossed silver comets fired above and were followed by enormous shells with pistils and then shells of orange falling leaves. Below these, mines and comets as more shell-of-shells of silver comets fired above. This theme continued and then huge kamuro shells with pistils started to fill the sky. These were replaced by gold niagara falls shells, trailing to the lake in a more serene moment. As the pace quickened again, farfalle shells and mines of serpents and mines of tourbillons as more massive shells with pistils filled the sky. The pace increased further with huge colour changing pistil shells, more shell-of-shells with whistling serpent candles below and then shells of serpents above. These were augmented by fans of stars on ramp 5 and a huge fan in the centre with gold glitter bombettes above and then shells of blue above these with glitter comets at a lower level. Next, huge shells of blue stars turning to white strobes with mine fronts below and more barrage of massive colour shells. The pace increased so much towards the end the sky was filled and many people thought that we were in the finale since it was already 10:32pm. Except that it was only the faux-finale.

Part 9 to the music Back in Town by R. Williams. A final narration with the nautic flares and flares at the back. Big fans of warm coloured stars with the same in shells above were followed by shells of purple and orange as very bright fans of stars fired below with mines of bright glitter. Then big colour mines and shells with salutes as well. Huge shells of comets and pistils with big colour mines below were augmented by massive nautic shells and more barrages of salutes. This theme continued and increased in intensity as ramp 5 added in fans of stars, though only at the left, as the shells continued above. The pace increased further with sky filling barrages of huge colour shells with pistils, barrages of large salutes at one level and different salutes at another level. Dazzling sequences of comets moving in opposite directions in fans and overlapping and then moving apart added to the sky tearing spectacle above. I was unable to take any more notes and simply wrote WOW in large letters. The audience rose to their feet and gave the Spaniards a standing ovation.

This was a great display but was very unfortunately marred by some technical problems, particularly with ramp 5 and the right hand side of ramp 3. Many times there were asymmetries which didn't make sense or just the wrong thing firing at the wrong time. I also expected there to be more fast sequences of comets and mines like I'd seen Caballer do in Valencia but these didn't happen. Whether this was due to the technial problems or not, I'm not sure. However, this said, the quality of the material used was just outstanding with fabulous colours used very artistically throughout - particularly the colour contrasts. And all the colours were extremely pure and bright. Personally, I found the narrative sections were a few seconds too long in each case such that it detracted from the anticipation ebbing and flowing through the display. An excellent display, but I think the technical problems will unfortunately mean that it is not in contention for the Platinum Jupiter.

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