This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
This Valentine’s Day, La Scena Musicale delivered more than 100 free serenades to seniors for the 13th edition of Singing Valentines.
The mission to provide 100 free Valentine’s Day serenades to seniors was devised by our founder, Wah Keung Chan (Mr. Singing Valentines). He lost both his father and father-in-law recently, and wanted to start this year with a special offering of love to seniors all around Canada.
The project was not only successful, but exceeded our initial goal. Over 340 seniors across Canada remotely received these 100 singing serenades, including day centre groups at the L’Chaim Adult Day Centre in Vancouver, a centre in Etobicoke, the Ottawa West Community Support Adult Day Program and the Glebe Centre in Ottawa.
A diverse selection of classic songs such as Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, Edith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose, Disney tunes as well as opera favourites such as “Che gelid manina” made it so seniors of various musical tastes could enjoy the music being performed especially for them. These serenades were delivered either via a phone call on Valentine’s Day, or pre-recorded video and uploaded for any-time viewing of the valentine. To add to the goal of spreading the love, 100 per cent of the funds from the paid serenades went to the singer.
“ The free serenade for seniors was amazing. The artists were fantastic and everyone had a beautiful voice. We at the L’Chaim Adult Day Centre in Vancouver, B.C., were so blessed to have the opportunity to receive this amazing gift to our 28 clients.”
-Leah, Co-ordinator at the L’Chaim Centre
“ This was a wonderful experience for the seniors in our community. They were overjoyed with the serenades. One woman had just lost her husband a few months ago so she was very appreciative of this song and experience. Thank you so much from the seniors in Ottawa.”
-Susie, Co-ordinator OWCS
We thank our artists Genevieve P.M. Roy, Marianne Ruel, Emili Losier, Steven Morton, Valérie Poisson, Julia Eliashov, Alan Briones, Mike Fan, Geneviève Neuville, Don Adriano, Laurie Tremblay, Wah Keung Chan, Jérémie Brocard, Nils Brown and Noémie Brisson for their commitment, time and generosity.
“Sharing joy through song is at the core of my hopes for my artistic practice and hearing the smiles of excitement and happiness in people’s voices after listening to my serenades made it a great experience,” said Ottawa soprano Emili Losier. We at La Scena Musicale are thrilled to have brought these extraordinary talents of these singers to the ears and hearts of people who deserve it.
Our recipients were also very happy. Maisie, who received the serenade as a birthday/Valentine’s Day gift, stated: “I think this Singing Valentine is an excellent idea and would do it for other loved ones in the future. There is no doubt this is someone you care for, if you have taken the time to arrange this experience.”
La Scena Musicale hopes this is just the beginning for more initiatives like this. We have compiled some serenades for your viewing pleasure.
If you are inspired by our commitment to this project, please consider a donation; email [email protected] or if you would like to partner with us in the future, email [email protected].
Mother’s Day Serenades
In the past three years of COVID, La Scena has celebrated Mother’s Day through concerts and personal serenades, which allows us to showcase new and emerging musical talent while doing something special for the amazing women in our lives.
For this year’s Mother’s Day on May 14, our team is extending the magic of free serenades. Like Singing Valentines, we will offer serenades to mothers who are above 65, at no cost if you order the serenade before May 7. This initiative is a great way to show a mother that you care with a personal gift of song without breaking the bank! To order, visit the website, fill out our form and we’ll choose the singer and the song for you.
For serenades ordered after May 7, 100 per cent of the proceeds will go to the artist again.
For a $30-$130 donation, you can choose the singer and the song, and thereby provide your loved one with a thoughtful gift. Personalized serenades are offered via phone, FaceTime, recorded audio, video and Zoom to ensure good audio quality.
Everyone is welcome to order a serenade for a deserving figure in their lives. We hope to bring artists from all over the world, with different genres and repertoire, and amplify young talent in Canada. This initiative lets us not only showcase Canadian talent, but also provides your loved ones with a personal concert just for them, to show them just how special they are to you.
Keep updated with the exact details on our website www.myscena.org and social media.
Whether you’re a singer who wants to join in on the good deed, or a community partner interested in supporting the love, email [email protected]. We look forward to hearing back from you.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
