Lest We Forget: a heartfelt gift to the troops

St. Albert clarinetist Richard Buckley has performed at Cosmopolitan Music Society’s Remembrance Day concert for a decade. But on Saturday, Nov. 9 Lest We Forget concert, he stickhandles a Rubbermaid bin.

The 24th annual Lest We Forget: A Musical Tribute is a local institution. Music director Garry Silverman has programmed Robert W. Smith’s Inchon, a nod to all who served in the Korean War.

This was the first war to use helicopters. Inchon takes the listener to the beach with helicopter sounds breaking the tranquillity.

“A bunch of us are playing percussion. Believe it or not to get the sound of helicopters we upturned Rubbermaid garbage bins upside down and they sound like helicopter blades,” explains Buckley.

With a gleeful tone in his voice, he adds that musicians will be placed throughout the Jubilee Auditorium hall to create a stereophonic surround-sound effect.

To select repertoire for this ceremonial concert, Silverman followed the Royal Canadian Legion’s themed guidelines.

The focus committee celebrates 2013 as the Year of the Aboriginal Veteran. It also commemorates the 95th anniversary of the end of the First World War and Veterans of the Korean War are also paid a special tribute.

This concert of remembrance also features special guest jazz vocalist Louise Dawson-MacLean and guest conductor Captain Patrice Arsenault of the Royal Canadian Artillery Band.

Radio host J’Lyn Nye returns as the traditional emcee and the Edmonton District Pipe Band is once more featured with military precision.

Starting the program is Francis McBeth’s legendary The Dreamcatcher, a chart driven by percussion. To create the heartbeat like rhythms, Silverman incorporates diverse percussion instruments from a tom-tom and bass drums to Native costume bells and metal clavĂ©.

In recognition of the 95th anniversary of the First World War, Silverman draws on John Williams’ Hymn to the Fallen from Saving Private Ryan.

“It’s a wonderful piece with a choral underlining. The chorus doesn’t sing in works by, they sing the melody in type of chant,” Silverman says.

As guest conductor, Arsenault is slated to lead Carl King’s march Host of Freedom.

“Carl King wrote circus marches for Barnum and Bailey. But he was also very patriotic. Every once in a while he wrote marches that depicted patriotism.”

In the ceremonial portion of Lest We Forget, Silverman introduces a never-before seen tradition – drum piling.

“In past military history, when troops were on the battlefield and they wanted to hold a prayer service, they piled drums to create an alter for prayers. The Royal Canadian Artillery Band percussion players will march in and lay down four tenor drums as the base of the altar. They will bring in bass drums, turn them sideways and put them on top of the tenor drums. Field drums are laid on bass drums and a book of remembrance is placed on top.”

St. Albert’s Jean Runyon is slated to play the emotionally charged Last Post and Reveille. In addition, she performs Sunset and Retreat, a trumpet fanfare, along with two other musicians.

When Buckley was asked his thoughts on war, he replied. “It’s terrible. It should be avoided at all costs. But there are times when it’s unavoidable. Look at the Second World War. It had to be done. But since then, I’m sure we could have avoided them. But having said that, I have nothing but respect and admiration for the men and women called to fight. This is one way to pay them some respect.”