2005 News Archive

Orchestra London Remembers With Hearts Made Great

October 24, 2005

LONDON – Honour. Loyalty. Love. Sacrifice. These are the themes of Hearts Made Great, a new musical production commemorating the Year of the Veteran presented by Orchestra London and singers Donna Creighton, Jo-Ann Lawton, Carolyn Hall and Paul Grambo, November 12 & 13 at Centennial Hall.

Written by London native Jennifer Venner, directed by Louise Fagan, with music by Jeff Christmas, Hearts Made Great uses letters, sound and song to tell the story of one family’s experience of World War II. There is Victor (Grambo), a young man sent off to battle and his young British wife Julia (Hall), his sister, Nora (Creighton), who works as a Red Cross nurse in Normandy and Margaret (Lawton), the mother left behind on the family farm.

Canada committed more than just troops to World War II. It committed the Canadian family, Venner says. The letters exchanged [between the four characters] demonstrate their fighting spirit and their determination to endure even in the darkest moments. Hearts Made Great will take all our hearts back to a time when Canada’s families made sacrifices and history.

The show is the brainchild of London singers Donna Creighton and Jo-Ann Lawton. Fans of music from the 1940s, they approached Orchestra London with the idea of creating a special show commemorating Canada’s contribution to World War II. The theme works beautifully for the orchestra and our Pops series often features swing music and big band elements, says the orchestra’s executive director, Rob Gloor. The unique new element is the connecting story which allows the music to be presented through characters on stage.

Creighton and Lawton listened to almost 700 wartime songs before settling on a final list, which includes I’ll Be Seeing You, Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition and Charlie Chaplin’s Smile. These were arranged by local conductor and composer Jeff Christmas, who also created an original orchestral score that underlies the entire work.

In addition to two Pops series performances, Hearts Made Great will also be presented to local high school students as part of a special Remembrance Day concert at Centennial Hall on November 11.

The timing of the concert near Remembrance Day combined with a national recognition of the Year of the Veteran provided the opportunity to give the show a special focus, says Gloor. We’re proud to be part of this creative collaboration.

JRMA and LMA Winners

April 3, 2005

Sirens have won this year’s London Music Award and Jack Richardson Music Award, both in the Folk category.