A Matter of Spirit – Concert
November 10, 2018
November 11, 2018, marks the 100th anniversary of the conclusion of the First World War. Hypatia’s Voice Women’s Choir of Ottawa and the Parkdale United Church Orchestra have commissioned Canadian composer Christine Donkin to create a new work for choir and orchestra commemorating the centenary of Armistice. This brilliant and moving new work focuses on women’s perceptions of war, drawing on texts that reflect the wartime experiences of three Canadian women: French-Canadian Blanche Bessette, English-Canadian Nellie McClung, and Edith Monture, a Mohawk First World War Veteran who was the first Indigenous-Canadian woman to become a registered nurse. This commission’s premiere tonight forms the keystone of a moving program of music featuring repertoire that celebrates peace and freedom, with works for choir and orchestra that look deeply into universal truths surrounding the heartbreak of war, and the pain of separation and loss. A musical journey across Europe and time, the concert incorporates an orchestral and choral medley of wartime songs with a narrative that speaks to the range of perspectives and emotions involved in this conflict and the end of hostilities. Enjoy the show!
—Cheryl Farris-Manning, Chair of Hypatia’s Voice Women’s Choir
& Liane Luton, President of Parkdale United Church Orchestra