Witnesses of a Life
Photo: Archives of the Jesuits in Canada
From Edmundston to Kahnawá:ke:
The symphony of Father Louis Cyr
Fannie Dionne | photos: Archives des jésuites au Canada parbyFrédéric Barriault
M
usicologist, teacher and Jesuit priest, New Brunswick Father Louis Cyr (1936–2020) led a life filled with multiple encounters.
From the accounts of people who knew him, it seems that Fr. Cyr had an ear not only for music but also for listening to people from a multitude of cultures.
A MUSICIAN WHO FOLLOWED CHRIST When he entered the Society of Jesus to respond to the call of Christ, Louis Cyr had already studied music and was an accomplished pianist. This passion never left him. But surprisingly, explains Fr. Bernard Carrière, SJ, “The
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spontaneity one usually associates with musicians or artists was not part of Louis’ personality. He was seen more as a thoughtful person who always weighed his words before engaging in conversation.” From 1959 to 1965, Louis Cyr moved quickly through the stages of formation after the novitiate before continuing his studies in music, with the approval of the provincial at the time. He studied for two years in Paris and then continued his studies in Frankfurt until 1975. He spent much of his time there writing a thesis on Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.” For this reason, the Jesuit Archives of Canada contains practically every possible recording
