Information/Write-up
Offenbach’s Saint-Chrone de Néant is a daring and mystic fusion of progressive rock and Gregorian liturgy, recorded live at Montreal’s Oratoire Saint-Joseph on November 30, 1972. Framed as a “rock mass for the dead,” this ambitious concept album delivers Latin chants and funeral rites through swirling organ, solemn choirs, and heavy blues-rock instrumentation. Gérald Boulet’s intensity on vocals and organ is matched by Pierre Harel’s theatrical vision, creating an atmosphere both sacred and subversive. At times meditative, at times apocalyptic, the album pushes Quebec rock into spiritual and cinematic territory—une messe noire in sound and spirit.
The performance itself was part spectacle, part ritual, witnessed by over 5,000 people during a snowstorm. The idea originated with Harel, who sought to focus media attention on the band after the muted reception to Offenbach Soap Opera. Months of negotiation with clergy and authorities led to the band being granted permission to perform a full Latin mass inside Quebec’s most revered shrine. The result is a bold and wholly unique live document, blending ancient liturgy with psychedelic blues and progressive rock flourishes.
The 2008 ProgQuébec reissue presents the entire concert as it unfolded, remastered from the original 16-track recordings and restoring over 26 minutes of previously unreleased material. Among the additions are Marche de Peanut (originally composed for the film Bulldozer), the Poe-inspired Edgar, and the lost gem Fils de Lumière. The album closes with the now-iconic Faut Que J’me Pousse, recorded spontaneously while the sound system was failing and being repaired—capturing the raw immediacy and spirit of the night.
A true cult classic, Saint-Chrone de Néant stands as a singular achievement in Canadian rock history—a sacred mass, a theatrical provocation, and a powerful testament to Offenbach’s visionary force.
-Robert Williston
Gérald Boulet: organ, vocals, synthesizer
Pierre Harel: organ, vocals, synthesizer
Michel Lamothe: bass
Roger Belval: drums
Jean Gravel: guitar
Yvon Hubert: vocals
Pierre-Yves Asselin: organ
Michel Garneau: performer
Les Chanteurs de la Gamme d'Or: choir
Yvan Provost: chorus master
Arranged by Offenbach
Produced by René Malo
Recorded live at L'Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal, Montréal, Québec – November 30, 1972
Recorded by Son Québec, Jacques Bournival, Nelson Vipond, Pete Tessier, Yvan Côté, Yves Sénécal
Mixed by Peter Tessier
Sound design by Réal Belval
Lacquer cut at RCA Victor Studios, Montreal
Design concept by Jacques Bourassa
Photography (cover and inner photos) by Bernard Nobert
Released in gatefold sleeve (Unipak)
Show producer: Kébec Spec Inc.
Back cover photos from the film Saint-Chrone de Néant
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