Spring 2016

2016 was the 100th anniversary year of the Battle of Beaumont Hamel, a battle during WWI where the Royal Newfoundland Regiment suffered staggering losses in just a few hours – of the 800 Newfoundlanders who went into battle that morning, only 68 were able to answer the roll call the next day, with more than 700 killed, wounded or missing.

Through song, dance and story, we hoped to honour the generation of young men of Newfoundland and Labrador who tragically lost their lives with “a concert for the troops”. “For the Boys” mimicked a variety show that might have taken place to support and entertain those men and boys of the Newfoundland Regiment circa 1916. Intended to be a celebratory, rather than sombre event, the evening’s entertainment included song, dance and comedy, with arrangements of music relevant to both the time and events.

We were delighted to bring the performance to local seniors’ homes and assisted living facilities, where many of the residents could recall the music and stories of the WWI and WWII eras. It was a most beautiful experience for us.