Huguette Cyr

It is as a builder that Huguette Cyr is inducted to the Edmundston Arts Hall of Fame.

True pioneer in the field of musical education, she has been working for over 50 years to promote music in her community, for both school-age children and through choir singing, as accompanist or as director. Strongly committed to her beliefs, she is determined to promote music, working quietly behind the scenes. She is often described as being low-profile, but she can easily bring others to exceed their own expectations.

Huguette Cyr began being actively involved in the music field in 1951 as accompanist at the reed organ for the choir of her native village of Saint-Hilaire. She was a member of the Collège Maillet choir, between 1955 and 1961, before accepting the direction of Edmundston’s Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parish choir in 1967. She remained at the choir’s direction for 23 years. Since 1994, she has been the director of the Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows parish choir. She is also the director of the Balladins du dimanche since 1996.

Mrs. Cyr has always tried to blend her passion for music with different causes near to her heart. One such example is the « Noël de Partage », a yearly fundraising event reuniting on stage several area choirs. Proceeds from the show are offered to different local charitable organizations. This event was spearheaded by Mrs. Cyr from 1998 to 2008.

Mrs. Cyr holds a Bachelor’s degree in education and music (piano), and has been giving private piano lessons in the area for 33 years. Between 1968 and 1970, Mrs. Cyr taught music in local schools while acting as program coordinator for 12 years, between 1970 and 1982. Her career in education went on at the Saint-Hilaire school between 1984 and 1994, where she was the school principal while continuing to teach music classes and other subjects. Huguette Cyr was also actively involved in the organization of the Madawaska Music Festival where she was responsible for the choir component. She chaired the event for two years. She was one of the main artisans responsible for implementing the « Jeunesses musicales du Canada » organization to New Brunswick in the early seventies. She was notably a director on the national board of the organization where her work was recognized in 1990 when she was granted a Life Membership Award.

All in all, Huguette Cyr’s work spans… 115 years of service in different choirs, either as accompanist or director or as an active member of the Youth Music Canada organization and other regional activities. She fully deserves the honour being bestowed upon her today.

En 1994, elle accepte de diriger la chorale de la paroisse Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs, poste qu’elle occupe toujours. Depuis 1996, elle est aussi la directrice de la chorale Les Balladins du dimanche.

Madame Cyr a aussi su allier sa passion pour la musique à différentes causes communautaires comme le Noël de Partage, un événement regroupant des chorales régionales dont les profits sont remis à des oeuvres caritatives. Elle en a été responsable entre 1998 et 2008.

Détentrice d’un baccalauréat en éducation et en musique (piano), elle enseigne le piano en privé depuis 33 ans. Entre 1968 et 1970, Mme Cyr a enseigné la musique dans les écoles de l’ancien District scolaire 33 en plus d’avoir agi comme coordonnatrice du programme durant 12 ans (1970-1982). Son cheminement scolaire s’est poursuivi à l’école de Saint-Hilaire entre 1984 et 1994, où elle a continué à y faire l’éducation musicale tout en étant enseignante et également directrice. Huguette Cyr s’est aussi impliquée dans le déroulement du Festival de musique du Madawaska à titre de responsable du secteur du chant choral. Elle a également assuré la présidence de l’événement durant deux ans. Elle a été l’une des artisanes de la venue du programme Jeunesses musicales du Canada (JMC) au Nouveau-Brunswick au début des années 70. Elle a notamment fait partie du bureau de direction national. Son travail a été reconnu puisqu’elle a été nommée membre à vie des Jeunesses Musicales du Canada en 1990.

Huguette Cyr cumule …115 ans de service au sein de différentes chorales comme musicienne accompagnatrice ou directrice ainsi que comme personne impliquée dans le fonctionnement des JMC et autres activités régionales. Elle mérite pleinement l’honneur qui lui est conféré aujourd’hui.