This weekend, even though Remembrance Day is still three days away, many Canadians will pause and think of someone they either knew or even didn't know, who served in the First or Second World Wars. We'll wear our poppies proudly on our left and thank the veteran who is selling them yet again this year, in spite of perhaps failing health in their senior years.
This year, of course, brings a special poignancy to the day with the recent deaths of two Canadian soldiers on Canadian soil, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent of Quebec and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo of Hamilton. Reports just yesterday suggest Royal Canadian Legion branches may not have enough poppies on hand to supply all who want them prior to Remembrance Day this year.
What a bittersweet thought that is. Yet it shows how close the two deaths hit home for many Canadians, who have come to the realization there is danger on our own soil should we choose to ignore it. And we are especially thankful for all the work the men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces do around the world as well as here at home to protect us all.
This weekend, we can perhaps show our gratitude and reflect on the difficult jobs these men and women in uniform do, and have done for many years, defending democracy and human rights around the world by attending a concert or other event commemorating those who lost their lives in past conflicts and continue to do so today.
Two such concerts are coming up tonight, in fact, one in St. Catharines and one in Hamilton; both will be fitting tributes to those we remember on Tuesday.
In St. Catharines, Chorus Niagara presents The World Remembers, a First World War Centennial concert. Artistic Director Robert Cooper has put together an audio and visual program with the help of the St. Catharines Museum to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War, as witnessed by the personal accounts of Niagara's soldiers and nurses, their families, friends and community.
This musical salute to the pride, passion and pathos of the so-called "war to end all wars" will be sponsored by The Lincoln and Welland Regiment Foundation, and takes place at 7:30 pm at Calvary Church in St. Catharines. Tickets will be available at the door or in advance by calling the Brock Centre for the Arts box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 or by going to www.arts.brocku.ca.
You can find out more about the concert and the entire Chorus Niagara season by going to their website at www.chorusniagara.ca.
In Hamilton, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra presents In Remembrance: Fanfare for the Common Man this evening at 7:30 as well. The reflective and memorable programme will display the honour, valour and innate beauty of symphonic music in a tribute to the community's veterans and military families. It will have special meaning for many Hamiltonians as Cpl. Cirillo lived in Hamilton.
The concert features Samuel Barber's eloquent Adagio for Strings, Elgar's moving Enigma Variations, and the Cello Concerto No. 1 by Shostakovich, featuring cellist Yegor Dychkov. Guest conductor Gregory Vajda leads the orchestra as well in the familiar and majestic Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland, as a way of paying tribute to so many uncommon men AND women in the military the world over.
Tickets for tonight's concert at the Great Hall of Hamilton Place will be available at the door prior to the concert, or you can call ahead to book yours if you have not already done so. The box office number is 905-526-7756, and online you can book at www.hpo.org.
We should always show our gratitude and appreciation for our members of the military every day of the year, but this year especially, this weekend is even more important. Please make an effort to show you care and appreciate the work they do throughout the year.
Have a good weekend!
November 8th, 2014.
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