Yannick’s orch replaces a homeless man’s stolen violin

Yannick’s orch replaces a homeless man’s stolen violin

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norman lebrecht

April 13, 2016

Here’s a heartwarming story from the hard streets of Montreal, Canada.

Mark Landry, a homeless man, woke yesterday to find his violin had been stolen. He played the instrument on the streets to stay alive and sane.

Mark created a placard ‘violon voler’. A passerby snapped it and posted the pic on social media.

Hours later, the Orchestre Métropolitain saw the message. They called the Maison du Violon, a local dealership. Between them, they got Mark a new violin, bow and case by the end of the day.

Good people.

Full story here.

violon voler

 

Comments

  • Emil Archambault says:

    “Violon violer” = Raped violin.
    He wrote “Violon voler” [Sic] = Stolen violin.

    • Max Grimm says:

      Well, the lack of correction in the starter seems to suggest that Norman wishes to stand by his “raped violin”.
      In his defense, I would assume that most of us, at one point or another, have had the misfortune of witnessing a violin getting raped.

  • Doug says:

    Let’s see, how much vodka can a violin trade for…?

    The man needs professional help. Not the empty gestures of conspicuous altruism.

    • John says:

      Glad you totally know why he’s homeless and worthy of your judgments. On the other hand . . .

      Oh. Shut. Up.

    • Petros Linardos says:

      I don’t know what he’ll do with the money the new violin and publicity will help him make. But I bet that social workers will attest to significant psychological benefits he could enjoy from the (showy) kindness of this gesture, and from owning and playing a violin again.

    • Bruce says:

      Well, considering that the violin was his means of livelihood, and he didn’t sell his old one to buy vodka (although who knows, he might use the money he earns from busking to buy vodka), I wouldn’t call getting him a new violin an “empty gesture of conspicuous altruism.” Now he can keep playing for money instead of shoplifting, or mugging people.

      Just because it’s a showy gesture doesn’t mean it doesn’t do any good.

  • Rosana Martins says:

    Lovely gesture to serve as an example.

  • Luk says:

    It’s lovely to see how even the most selfless gestures are vivisected by people writing behing a screen in the warmth of their own home.

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