Saturday, November 11
Celebration Hall, Mountain View Cemetery, 5455 Fraser St.
Please join us on for a very special day of remembrance and music. All performances are free and accessible. On display will be our collection of archival of Canadian forces in WW II and the photos of the early years of the Veterans Housing Project.
At 11:00 am the Allegra Chamber Orchestra conducted by Janna Sailor will perform Mark Haney’s 11, a piece written in tribute to the Renfrew Heights Veterans Housing Project, based on the lives of 11 Vancouver veterans, including 102 year old D-Day veteran Edmond Champoux.
At noon the Homegoing Brass Band will present Remembering the Never Fails, a musical tribute to the band of the legendary 85th regiment. One hundred years ago, the 85th (also known as the Nova Scotia Highlanders) were to be supply troops for the battle at Vimy Ridge. They were instead sent into battle where they distinguished themselves as one of the premiere regiments of the Canadian Army. Their band is one of the most revered in the history of Canadian arms. The Homegoing Brass Band will perform new arrangements of some of the pieces the band played during the First World War.
At 1:00 pm the Allegra Chamber Orchestra returns to play music for reflection and remembrance geaturing Jocelyn Morlock’s Solace, excerpts from The Juliet Letters by Elvis Costello and two new commissions: Elizabeth Knudsen’s Wind in the Downs and Mark Haney’s Mother: A Remembrance Lullaby (text by Pte. Albert Wm. Drummond, 15th Canadian Field Ambulance, published in 1918).
Founded in June 2016 by conductor and violinist Janna Sailor, the Vancouver based Allegra Chamber Orchestra is an ensemble dedicated to creating opportunities for women and minorities in the music industry, with a mandate of social action through music. The orchestra has been featured on CBC Radio, German and French Public Radio, Radio ICI, The Strad magazine, the Violin Channel, The Walrus, The Hub magazine, as well as other publications and media outlets across North America and Europe.
As one of the only all female professional orchestras in the world, the Allegra Chamber Orchestra (ACO) maintains that the responsibility of the artist in society is to shine a light on issues that need to be changed and addressed, while provoking creative thought and solutions, first within ourselves, and then in the broader context of the community at large. Each innovative concert, event and recording project presented by the ACO has a social impact focus and a practical method of financial and visible support for partnering charitable organizations. The ACO seeks to integrate music and humanity back into the community in a practical and accessible way, while striving for the highest standards of performance and artistic excellence.
The Homegoing Brass Band is a Vancouver based, non-denominational ensemble of professional musicians who provide solemn and uplifting music for funeral and memorial services. Formed in December 2009 by Dr. Marc Lindy (tuba), the the band’s repertoire is drawn from many countries and cultures. Homegoing Brass Band is the only dedicated brass funeral band in Canada.
