REMEMBRANCE

The Civic Orchestra of Victoria is a vibrant, community orchestra made up of passionate amateur and professional musicians from across the Greater Victoria region. They kick off their 43nd season with esteemed Music Director, Grant Harville, at the podium and a thoughtful program entitled ‘Remembrance’.

Arrive early for Grant Harville’s pre-concert talk from 1:00-1:30pm and gain interesting insights into the works you are about to hear.

Works on this program:
Robert Buckley — Highway of Heroes
E. J. Moeran — In the Mountain Country
Ivor Gurney (arr. G. Harville) — Ludlow and Teme
Percy Grainger — Children’s March
F. S. Kelly — Elegy
George Butterworth — The Banks of Green Willow
Edward Elgar — Nimrod
Edward Elgar — Pomp and Circumstance, No. 4

This program honours Remembrance Day by featuring composers who served in various capacities in World War I. Two of our featured composers were killed at the Battle of the Somme: George Butterworth came about through his passion for rural British folk tunes when he wrote his lovely pastoral The Banks of Green Willow; he would receive a Military Cross before being killed at the Battle of the Somme two years after the work’s premiere. Frederick Kelly wrote his Elegy at Gallipoli during wartime following the death of his poet friend Rubert Brooke. Composed for string orchestra, our performance features our principal flutist Mary Jill McCullogh on the solo part. Both E.J. Moeran and Ivor Gurney survived the War, though not without injury. Moeran’s In the Mountain Country was inspired by his wartime service in western Ireland, while Gurney’s 1919 song cycle Ludlow and Teme brings together scenes of Shropshire with laments for soldiers lost in battle. Originally for voice, string quartet, and piano, our performance presents the work in a new chamber orchestra setting. Percy Grainger avoided combat, but he served the war effort while in the United States, joining a military band and composing his Children’s March as a fundraising piece. Edward Elgar, too wrote music in service of the war, and in fact volunteered for the army reserve in a non-combat capacity. (He was 57 when fighting began.) While neither “Nimrod” from Enigma Variations nor his Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 were written as wartime pieces, both have become symbols of British national spirit, with “Nimrod” proving a mainstay on Remembrance Day programs. Finally, we premiere the orchestral version of B.C. composer Robert Buckley’s Highway of Heroes, a tribute to all who serve, regardless of capacity.

Notice regarding children:
Please note that while Civic Orchestra concerts are family-friendly, most programs are not suitable for very young children. If attending with children, please seat yourself near an exit so that you may easily take your children to the lobby during a performance if they become disruptive. Please be mindful of the concert-going experience of the patrons around you; we want everyone to enjoy the show! Thank you.