November 10, 2016
Lest We Forget: A Musical Tribute to the Great War
The Naden Band Free Concert
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Clifford Carl Hall
Join the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy for Lest We Forget; a musical tribute to all Canadians who served, and fell, in war. The concert will be held on the main level of the Royal BC Museum at 7:00 p.m. and is free of charge.
The Naden Band is comprised of 35 professional full-time musicians whose primary role within the Royal Canadian Navy is to support Naval Operations and ceremonial events. For this concert the Naden Band is joined by the talented vocalist and frequent collaborator Stephanie Greaves.
November 11, 2016
The Victoria Children's Choir
12:15 – 12:45 pm
Clifford Carl Hall
Through practice and performance, The Victoria Children’s Choir enables youth to master their vocal talents and enrich their music knowledge. Choristers (ages seven to eighteen) study an array of contemporary and classical songs from around the world, and learn to sing extraordinarily challenging pieces as part of their academic appreciation for choral music.
For 15 seasons, choristers have been under the instruction of Founder and Artistic Director, Madeleine Humer, and an expert music team. As a testament to their reputation and skill, the Choir is regularly invited to collaborate with renowned international and local musicians, including the Victoria Symphony, Pacific Opera Victoria, Fretwork and the Pacific Baroque Festival.
The choir has been honored to sing at many celebrated events, including: the 2010 Olympic Flame Welcome and Torch Relay ceremonies, the 2011 Summa cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna, Austria (first-place award, Treble category), the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands in 2015 and most recently at the official welcome ceremony for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. They will be embarking on a Maritime Tour in July 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday.
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Letters Home
1:00 pm
Newcombe Conference Hall
The Royal BC Museum and The Story Theatre Company team up once again to bring home the words written by those on the front lines in WWI. This short presentation (15 minutes) shows the hopes and fears of the young men who fought from the trenches as well as the horrors that faced the women who served as nurses mending the broken bones and dealing with the broken souls. Hear the initial hopes and ideals of both and how the letters changed as the war went on… and on.
This is an excerpt from a full length presentation that is being readied for 2017, Canada’s 150th birthday and 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge.
"Letters Home” consists almost entirely of the letters, diary entries, and reports made during the war. The actors take the words off the written page to interpret the thoughts and feelings of those who lived through the desperate moments of a world at war.
Cycling the Salient: Ypres 2016
1:30 pm
Newcombe Conference Hall
The Ypres Salient (Belgium) was shattered by the First World War. Join historian, Paul Ferguson, who will lead us on his latest photo journey to this regenerated but scarred landscape. Travelling on bicycle and foot between Ypres, Ploegsteert, Passchendaele, and Reningelst this journey proved the Salient to be teacher, mentor and doyen.
Paul Ferguson, Royal BC Museum
War Memories across Canada Documentary
2:30 – 3:30 pm
Newcombe Conference Hall
Excerpts from the two-part documentary series funded by Government of Canada and Royal Roads University, comprises selected short stories exploring sites of memory across the country linked with the First and Second World Wars.
The documentary series explores sites of memory that offer insight into our nation’s past. These stories connect and engage us in a new way, looking at the war not from the perspective of battlefields overseas but from places in Canada that were shaped by war. The history is recounted by ‘guardians of remembrance,’ historians, guides and storytellers who offer insight into what happened and why. The documentary provides a gateway to new insights into the significance of this heritage as well as an opportunity to commemorate this shared national experience.
Director and Producer Dr Geoffrey Bird will be in attendance.
