Legendary Quebec singer-songwriter Serge Fiori to receive national funeral

Serge Fiori, founder of the rock band Harmonium speaks during an interview in Montreal, Tuesday, November 15, 2016, during the launch of L'Heptade XL, a remastered, remixed version of the band's 1976 double album L'Heptade. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

A national funeral will be held in honour of Quebec singer-songwriter Serge Fiori, who died Tuesday at the age of 73.

Quebec Premier François Legault made the announcement in a social media post on Friday, saying the funeral will be held “in the form of a national tribute ceremony” in accordance with the family’s wishes.

The Quebec flag will be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on the main tower of the Quebec legislature building on the day of the ceremony, Legault added.

The date and location of the ceremony have not yet been announced.

A book of condolences is now available online to allow people to express their sympathies to the family of the late singer, who founded the band Harmonium.

Legault said in a statement that Fiori’s death was “an immense loss” for Quebec,

“We will pay him a national tribute worthy of his legacy,” Legault said.

Fiori’s musical career took off in 1974 with the release of the eponymous album Harmonium. The song Pour un instant became a classic of Quebec music.

The group released only two other albums—Si on avait besoin d’une cinquième saison and L’Heptade—before splitting up, but they left a lasting mark on Quebec’s cultural landscape.

With files from The Canadian Press