L'International des Feux Loto-Québec 2009
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Canada Voil`! July 25^th, 2009

Royal Pyrotechnie. Designed by Yannick Roy and Serge Péloquin. [Gold Jupiter 2003] Pyrodigital firing; Show Director choreography 205 FM-16 modules ~3100 cues

A First at L’International des Feux Loto-Québec presented by TELUS on Saturday "Voilà !": an exciting show by a competitor officially representing Québec/Canada!

Montréal, Thursday, July 23, 2009 - Royal Pyrotechnie will make history on Saturday at L’International des Feux Loto-Québec presented by TELUS as the first combined Québec/Canada competitor ever at this prestigious event. These pyrotechnic artisans from the town of Saint-Pie in the Montérégie region of southwest Québec have vowed to display their fireworks know-how to the full in a show where music gives free expression to the imagination of one and all - a strategy that bore fruit for Royal Pyrotechnie in 2003 when - representing Canada alone - it won a Gold Jupiter!

According to the show’s creator, Yanick Roy, "Voilà !" builds on the success that has been the hallmark of his shows since Le ciel ne peut attendre (The Sky Cannot Wait) six years ago: an excellent soundtrack by Serge Péloquin, mixed live with plenty of rhythm and, of course, perfectly harmonized with the most diverse, stunning, and original fireworks display imaginable! "I’m pretty sure that some of the pieces, which come from all over the world, have never been displayed before ... so the way we set them off will be a first, too!" states Roy. And, indeed, two towers - each about 20 metres high - have been erected on one of the ramps and seven floating docks have been deployed on lac des Dauphins, a few metres from the stands at La Ronde.

Royal Pyrotechnie boasts wins at all international fireworks competitions held in Québec, displaying on its "mantelpiece" a "Zeus" prize from the 2004 event at Lac-Leamy, a "Solstice" prize from 2007 in Québec City, and, of course, a magnificent Gold Jupiter won in Montréal. Not to mention a special jury prize last year in Cannes!

Despite yet another dismal weather forecast, conditions turned out to be perfect for the anticipated return of the local team. The grandstands were packed and treated to perfect conditions with a gentle wind blowing smoke away from the spectators. Winner of a Gold Jupiter after their only participation, it was clear that the Royal team were setting out to go for Gold again with Yanick promising a non-stop display with no repetition.

Part 1 to the music Sound effect pyro by Serge Péloquin The display opened with volleys of glittering spider shells. These were followed by white star candles converging in the centre as silver spider shells fired above, with some shells of tourbillons as well. Then white strobe shells fired at a higher level as the white star candles continued and photoflashes fired on ramp 4. These were followed by shells of white photoflash above and then fronts of mines of silver below with comet shots left and right outwards and then the same inwards as the mines continued.

Part 2 to the music The Courtship by James Newton Howard Next shells of purple turning to gold strobes followed by fast crossed cake fans on ramp 3. These were followed by volleys of smaller colour shells and then fast sequences of triple silver comets with strobe mines below and shells of comets with glitter pistils above followed by shells of purple with glittering pistils and more of the comet shells with glitter pistils. These were followed by shells of stars with dahlia comets and double ring tourbillon shells with blue pistils together with shells of whistles. Shells of bright white stars bursting in a horsetail fashion were followed by meteor comet shells and crossed silver comet shots below as large white strobes shells with pistils burst above as the silver comet shots with gold strobe mines continued below. Pairs of thick comets with glitter mines fired left and right converging in the centre as the music moved to

Part 3 to the music The Beginning by Philip Glass. Bright white star shots were followed by crossette cakes with barrages of shells of the same above, first one colour and then another. Then large studatas of stars in green and then blue as the music moved to

Part 4 to the music The Diva Dance by Eric Serra. Shells of multi-coloured meteor comets formed the next theme [4:22] These were augmented by sequenced blue mines and then runs of brilliant star shots across ramp 3. The shots danced left and right to the notes of the music and were followed by angled mine shots from left, right and then up in the centre. More star shots in orange followed interspersed with mines as shells of go-getters fired above. More note-synchronized mines and star shots and then barrages of large multi-coloured shells above as the music moved to

Part 5 to the music Flubber by Danny Elfman. Shells of rings of whistles with clusters of stars as pistils were augmented by Z-cakes below. Then bright blue mines firing left and right and the same in red were followed by gold broccade shells above. Then more of the ring of whistles with colour cluster shells below followed by a return to larger broccade shells. Then multibreak shells of stars ending with a shot of a ring of tourbillons and titanium salutes. Then more huge multi-breaks ending in double rings of tourbillons causing a wow from me and a volley of serpent shells as the music moved to

Part 6 to the music Bummelpetrus by André Rieu. A large fan of meteor comets brought a complete change of music as small glittering comets danced to the polka across ramps three and five. Gold glittering comets appeared to leap and dive into the lake, making the crowd laugh and cheer. This humorous them continued with left and right leaping comets as well as shots upwards at the back. Then mines on chord hits left in right in contrasting colours. Screaming whistling candles then fired as the music did its link to the refrain and the leaping comets return, mines bringing the theme to a close as the music moved to

Part 7 to the music Un jeu dangereux by Jean-Marie Benoit. Crossed glitter star mine comets shots moving outwards across ramp three were followed by shells of crackling comets and crossed cakes of the same below in crossettes. This theme continued and then the shells became crackling crossettes. Seven converging silver comet crossette cakes then fired and were augmented by shells of blue crossettes above. The barrages of shells increased and then shells of multiple titanium salutes fired right, left and centre as the music moved to

Part 8 to the music A toute vitesse by Michel Cusson The shells of salutes continued and were followed by shells of comets with pistils and then shells of blue stars turning to comets. More barrages of the salute shells and shells of crackling bunches together with large clusters of slow falling stars (but different than falling leaves) as the music moved to

Part 9 to the music Tell me now by Hands Zimmer and Moya Brennan. Two large horsetails were followed by multibreak shells f blue and gold glitter in both sequential and studata form. These were followed by multi-breaks shells of clusters of charcoal comets turning to gold fireflies together with more multi-titanium salute shells and then two more gold horsetails as the music moved to

Part 10 to the music All of them by Hands Zimmer. A large waterfall lit up around ramp 4 and then two large suns at each end of ramp three together with groups of fountains across ramp 3. All appeared to be very low smoke. Shots of bombettes fired from ramp 4 bursting into wheat sheaves which became white strobes. These were then augmented by pale gold waterfall shells above and then more and larger with twinkling pistils. This serene theme continued as more strobing horsetails filled the sky. Then crossed charcoal comet shots below with a front of charcoal comet mines as shells of stars turning dark and then bright again fired above. The charcoal comet theme continued below with shells of charcoal comets above at mid and high levels. Then a sudden change to bright crossed mins and spider shells above as the music became more powerful. The spider shells continued in silver form and were followed by fronts of salute mines with shells of rings of stars turning to salutes above. Then charcoal comet horsetails and a sudden erruption of gold broccade nautical shells, to cheers from me and the audience. More and more nauticals in gold broccade, this time turning to silver with a wow from me. Skyfilling shells of crackle bunches then fired very wide across the site as starmine bombettes of crackle and comets fired below. The fireworks grew as the music swelled with barrage after barrage of the huge crackle shells and continuing fronts of the mines below. Then two huge salutes at high level followed by as massive crown chrysanthemum shell filling the sky followed by serpent shells as the music moved to

Part 11 to the music August Rhapsody by Van Morrison Bright star shots fired high into the sky on the notes and then fountains lit up on the two towers with serpent bombettes above. Flights of gold girandolas then rose into the sky exactly on cue with the music, bursting to stars and salute-terminated tourbillons. Flights of silver girandolas then took off as shells of serpents with pistils fired above. Strongly sequenced mine runs left in right in stars to bombettes worked perfectly with the music. Big fans of mines opened on ramp 4 as large mines fired left and right on ramp 3. Serpent shells then fired above as crossed star cakes fired in the middle of ramp 3 with tourbillons above and more shells of serpents above them. Then partial mine fronts of serpents followed by shells of rings of serpents above. Arched shots of charcoal bombettes were augmented by huge double ring tourbillon shells with massive pistils above followed by huge farfalles that looked almost like sunflowers. This theme continued and then the music moved to

Part 12 to the music Eve by Thomas Newman Shells of waving stars were followed by the same in silver comets and then back to waving stars. This theme continued and was followed by huge shells of glitter comets with pistils and then comet shots across ramp 3 in pairs and then crossed in broccade, the comets arching back to the lake and making the effect of a cage. This serene comet sequence continued with low angle shots completing the three dimensional feel from ramp 5. Broccade shells then fired above, augmenting the comet cages below, filling the sky and trailing to the lake. As the broccade shells faded, suddenly peacock fan cakes in blue and gold fired across ramp 3 to cheers from the audience and then silver rain shell barrages began above bringing this serene theme to a beautiful close.

Part 13 to the music Wall-E by Thomas Newman Fast gerb hits ran up the sides of the two towers. Then shots alternating out of each side on the notes in contrasting colours between the two towers. Then shots between the towers and from side to side in time to the music. Shots of bomettes then fired across ramp 3 and a return to mine hits on the towers and shots of comets from the towers. As the shots continued, skymine shells fired above and then really fast sequences on the towers. Gerbs then lit up in alternating positions angled left and right on both towers as the music moved to

Part 14 to the music Rêverie by Michel Cusson Nautial flares lit up on the lake as bright falling leaf shells gently burst above in red and then white above. Cakes of blue stars bursting to falling leaf bombettes were augmented by shells of dense clusters of smaller falling leaves above - more like bees but different. Crackling comet shots then fired outwards in from the ends of ramp 3 as shells of crakling horsetails fired above and then similar shells but larger of crackling broccade. As the comet shots continued, waterfall shells in gold started to fill the sky. As the last of these trailed downwards, comet shots below in gold followed by a large gold fan and more sequences of gold comets in pairs. Another big gold fan with bright gold waterfall shells above as the music moved to

Part 15 to the music Flying by James Newton Howard. Shells of rings of clusters of stars were followed by studatas of gold strobes and then a dramatic set of ground salutes ran across ramp 3 as shaped burst shells fired above in what looked like rings and fish. A fast double sequence of large dazzling white mines ran across ramp 3 causing a WOW from me as shells of rings with six-pointed clusters of gold comets and blue pistils fired above. Then double and triple rings and more of the kaliedoscope shells followed by go-getters. These were followed by farfalles with twinkling pistils and then candles of screaming serpents below. Shells of whistles followed above and then single and double ring farfalles. Suddenly ramp 3 errupted with fast Z-cakes of gold electric comets followed by barrages of large shells of stars with gold dahlia comets above. These barrages were followed by huge peonies and then massive charcoal comet to blue shells. Gentle gold glittering angle-wing style candles then fired on ramp 5 as gold fountains fired outwards from the two towers. Two opening fans of fast sequenced glitter comet shots intersected in the middle and were augmented by shells of stars that were a cross between falling leaves and go-getters. Suddenly massive barrages of huge shells of stars changing to comets as the music moved to

Part 16 to the music Bullies and sweet rock by John Debney Volleys of huge blue shells with multicoloured candles below firing vertically and tangentially to the lake (with the stars skipping across the water from left and right) were followed by barrages of bright shells of stars that went dark and light again. This theme continued and was followed by shells of stars changing to comets in silver and then shells of blue turning to gold comets with angled pale gold comet candles below. This theme continued with different coloured shells changing to the same gold comets and then shells of silver comets turning gold. Shells of concentric rings turning dark and then light again then followed as the music moved to

Part 17 to the music Eragon by Patrick Doyle Fast sequences of fans of stars ran back and forth across ramp 3. These were followed by shells of silver palm trees and then violet tipped silver comets. Meteor comet shots in pairs fired from ramp 3 with gold mosaic studatas above and then the same in charcoal comets, forming an alternating sequence. Massive barrages of gold shells then fired followed by a front of dazzling mines and silver comet shells. Shells of gold comets turning to crackle were followed by pale gold strobing comets and then increasing shots of gold comets across ramp 3. Then ramp 3 errupted in a barrage of dragon's egg cakes, drowning out the music as strobe mine fronts added to the fray. Bright mines and titanium salutes fired and a sudden serene moment as silver comet shots fired across ramp 3. Then barrages of huge shells of charcoal turning to silver augmented by shells of charcoal comets terminated by salutes. The pace increased and was augmented by huge numbers of Panzera Thunder candles from ramp 4 as the shell barrages increased above to cheers from the audience as the display came to a thunderous close with a front of mines. The audience cheered and cheered and gave the Royal team a well deserved standing ovation.

This was an excellent display from Royal with an incredible diversity of products used. There truly was no repetition throughout the display, which made my report harder than usual to write. Great synchronization and a very well controlled range of intense and serene moments. The team received a well deserved standing ovation from the audience and a very enthusiastic reception at the Salon des Artifiers afterwards. The display made excellent use of the firing space with especially creative use of every possible firing angle. I don't think there was any space not used at some point during the display. It is hard to find anything to criticize but maybe the music and the fireworks didn't always harmonize with each other and the musical choices made it difficult to find a thematic feeling to the display, meaning the fireworks had to stand on their own two feet more than is the case with strongly themed displays. Fortunately the careful design and well controlled sequencing together with a diverse range of products helped here. I felt the towers were perhaps a bit underused and somewhat smaller visually than their height would have suggested. All in all, though, a superb display which is in line for a Jupiter at this point in the competition. It will be hard to displace, but there's still two teams left to compete. What an exciting year!

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