Concert salutes fallen soldiers

There is probably no more moving concert than Cosmopolitan Music Society’s annual Lest We Forget … A Musical Tribute.

No one likes to be seen shedding tears in public. Yet at the society’s annual Remembrance Day poignant salute to millions of fallen soldiers, it is OK and even encouraged.

The concert has evolved into a city-wide group-hug where civilians of every stripe can acknowledge the courage of men and women in battle, and families find solace in knowing their loved ones are not forgotten. It all happens Sunday, Nov. 4 at the Winspear Centre.

“It’s important to remember what our grandfathers and great-grandfathers did to maintain a free world. They died for us. The longer we are from it, the more we’re likely to forget. It’s important to remember what other people do for us,” said Cosmopolitan president Rhea Shank. The St. Albert nurse also plays a mean tenor sax in the CMS band.

CMS music director Garry Silverman is on medical leave and in his absence CMS founder and music director emeritus Harry Pinchin returns to the podium.

Now celebrating its 23rd year, the concert features all the colour and pageantry of previous years with special guests: vocalist Shelley Jones, conductors Capt. Patrice Arsenault of the Royal Canadian Artillery Band, the Edmonton and District Pipe Band, and the Canadian Forces Cenotaph Party. Broadcast journalist and filmmaker J’Lyn Nye once again emcees the two-hour plus evening ceremonies.

Every year the CMS concert bands and chorus perform a varied repertoire that honours several military anniversaries.

Two centrepiece charts that remember the 70th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid are An Echo Never Fades and Parade of the Tall Ships.

“An Echo Never Fades was commissioned by the St. Charles Wind Ensemble. It’s a beautiful piece, absolutely gorgeous,” Shank said.

“And Parade of the Tall Ships was written by Jay Chattaway and it has a marine theme. You can hear the waves in the background.”

With the 100th anniversary of the Corps of the Royal Canadian Engineers/Canadian Military Engineers, CMS will also play Wings, a W.J. Newstead composition that over time has become their official regimental march.

During the concert’s moment of solemnity, St. Albert trumpet player Jean Runyon performs Last Post.

But the concert also brings out lighter war moods as soldiers enjoyed listening to the panoply of radio hits such as It Don’t Mean a Thing, I Got You Under My Skin, As Time Goes By and Over the Rainbow.

“We will also have a moment of silence. For some it will be a moment of healing,” Shank said.

Local CMS musicians and choristers performing at this event include saxophonist Barth Bradley, trombonist Hugh Campbell, and clarinetists Richard Buckley, Ashley Fedoruk and Ellie Zapf. Zapf also sings in the CMS chorus with Joyce Shapka, Maria Jenkins and Don Gristwood.

For more information visit www.cosmopolitanmusic.org.