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Symphony salutes sacrifice

Kamloops Symphony will honour the centennial of the beginning of the First World War with their performance Remembering on Nov. 16
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Jeff Pelletier

Kamloops Symphony will honour the centennial of the beginning of the First World War with their performance Remembering on Nov. 16 in Salmon Arm.

This will be the first time Kamloops Symphony does a performance of remembrance.

“We believe it is important to acknowledge the sacrifices of those who served in the First World War during this 100th anniversary year,” said Kathy Humphreys, general manager at Kamloops Symphony. “They are remembered.”

This program includes selections from John Burge’s Flanders Fields Reflections, which is inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written by Canadian John McCrae.

Burge’s song received the 2009 Juno award for Best Canadian Classical Composition. Each movement is titled with a phrase taken from the poem.

This performance will also include the second performance of Canadian composer Michael Conway Baker’s Concerto for Piccolo, Piano and String Orchestra. The world premiere of this piece will be played in Kamloops the evening before.

Jeff Pelletier, the piccolo soloist, is second flute/piccolo with the Kamloops Symphony. In addition to the Kamloops Symphony, Pelletier is a flautist with the Vancouver Chamber Players, Ventos Wind Quintet, with the touring ensemble Winter Harp, and performs regularly with the Vancouver Island Symphony.

Also included in this program is British composer Vaughan Williams’ Symphony #3 (Pastoral). It is considered one of his two responses to the First World War.

Ralph Vaughan Williams was a stretcher-bearer and stopped composing for the duration of the war.

This Salmon Arm Series performance takes place at the SASCU Recreation Centre on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m.

Buy tickets at the door, at Kamloops Live! Box Office at 250-374-5483 or 1-866-374-5483, or online at www.kamloopslive.ca. Tickets for the Salmon Arm performance are also available at Wearabouts on Alexander Street.