Rufus & Martha Wainwright | Cri de Noël  

Born out of the musical childhood home of Canadian folk legends Kate and Anna McGarrigle, where the sisters grew up singing around the old Steinway piano, the Wainwright/McGarrigle Christmas show is a true expression of the warmth and spirit of the holidays. Following in their footsteps, their children (including Rufus and Martha Wainwright) have carried forward this cherished family tradition. Since releasing The McGarrigle Christmas Hour album in 2005, these concerts have graced some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including London's Royal Festival Hall, Dublin's National Concert Hall, New York's Carnegie Hall, and Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. This year it returns home to Montréal’s beautiful Maison Symphonique.

In 2010, The Wainwright/McGarrigle Christmas show took on a deeper purpose, becoming a benefit concert for cancer research after Kate McGarrigle’s cancer diagnosis. Before her death, Kate established the Kate McGarrigle Fund in collaboration with the MUHC to support sarcoma research. Rufus and Martha Wainwright have continued this mission, raising funds both for cancer research and to support musicians living with cancer. In the final months of her life, Kate wrote the powerful and moving “Proserpina,” a song that endures as a prayer for all of us caught in the cycle of life. Kate’s spirit and the radiance of the holiday spirit shine through these dark winter evenings of music, making the concert a beloved highlight of the season. 

Like all families, the McGarrigle/Wainwrights navigate joys and struggles together. In 2020 a beautiful addition to the family was born: Fera, daughter of Sylvan Lanken and Vanessa Bonneau, and granddaughter to Anna McGarrigle. At just ten months old, Fera was diagnosed with cystinosis, a rare and serious genetic disorder requiring round-the-clock care and frequent hospital visits. Since then, proceeds from the family Christmas shows have been shared between the Kate McGarrigle Fund and the Canadian Cystinosis Research Foundation. Incredible strides are being made in the research and treatment of cystinosis, and we are hopeful that Fera’s life will be a long and happy one. She is a beacon of the family and a little star that loves the stage!