Lebanon on Sunday held a concert for the
victims of last month’s deadly Beirut blast in the grounds of a 19th-century
palace wrecked by the massive explosion.
The August 4 blast at the capital’s port killed
more than 190 people, wounded thousands and destroyed or damaged buildings
across swathes of the city.
“To be able to mourn, to take the time to
really remember, it was important to have this moment of music,” artistic
director Jean-Louis Mainguy said.
The event was held in the gardens of the
Sursock Palace, whose windows, red-tiled roof, ceilings and furniture were
ravaged in the blast.
The concert, which did not have an audience on
site, but was instead broadcast on television and streamed online, kicked off
with a rendition of “Li Beirut”, an ode to the city by famed Lebanese singer
Fairouz.
Portraits of those killed in the blast were
displayed in part of the heritage building’s grounds, with a candle burning
under each.
The victims’ images and names were also
broadcast on television, accompanied by the Muslim call to prayer and Christian
chants of “Amen” performed by an orchestra and some 250 choir singers from
around the country.
The concert included live performances as well
as pre-recorded contributions, including from Lebanese singer-songwriter Tania
Saleh.
In a recording, Lebanese-born French author
Amin Maalouf offered “a prayer towards the sky so that Lebanon this time again
can stand back up, rebuild its walls, and dress its wounds”.
Organisers asked Beirut residents to place a
lit candle on their balconies or in their windows in commemoration of those
killed.
The event was initially to be held at the port,
but was moved after the air quality around the site was deemed too poor after
fires there earlier this month.
On Saturday night, Lebanese-born British
singer-songwriter Mika headlined another concert streamed online to fundraise
for relief aid after the blast.