Longueuil, Friday October 20, 2017 - An intimate concert was held in a historic hall in Longueuil, Quebec, in celebration of the Bicentenary of the Twin Birthdays of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh.

Featuring music composed by Lucie Dubé, some 100 invited guests heard the story of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and listened to exquisite settings of six of the Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh.

For many in the impressive, flower-filled hall, built in 1852—precisely at the time when Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned in the Siyah Chal in Tehran—it was a first exposure to the powerful figure of Bahá’u’lláh and to the significance of His teachings in the contemporary world. Many were moved to tears by the music, the deep reverence for the text, the attention to the beauty of each detail of staging and lighting, and by the profound dignity and depth with which the significance of the subject matter was conveyed. The compositions were performed by a small choir and soloists, with the composer at the piano, accompanied by a string quartet.

The musical compositions of the Hidden Words, begun more than a year earlier, form the basis for a CD recording and booklet which briefly recounts the history of both the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and the nature of the Hidden Words as a work of sacred scripture, each of which is sung in French. Each invited guest received a personalized gift of the CD, and all were deeply touched by this unusually generous gesture.

Virtually the entire text of the beautiful booklet was memorized by a group of young professional actors, whose expressive narration of the basic history and spiritual principles of the Faith was interspersed with the choral music, the string accompaniment, and enhanced by dramatic lighting, to spellbinding effect.

The atmosphere of the evening and the joy which suffused all the participants, many of them devoted friends of the Faith, sprang from the remarkable spirit of prayerful and intense collaboration which went into bringing it to fruition, supported from beginning to end by the sacrificial contributions of both voluntary service and funds of many individuals, the community and the local institutions.

And on the wings of the music and text, the spirit of this undertaking will live on through the Bicentenary of the Báb, and into the future, touching in turn unnumbered receptive souls, who, stirred by this sublime gift, will go on to attract others to the Cause of the Blessed Beauty.

The music may be enjoyed, purchased/downloaded at 9Star Media (https://9starmedia.com/lucie-dube-les-paroles-cachees) or by writing to the Service de Distribution Bahá’í du Québec at:   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive the booklet and a code for a free download of the CD.