Saskatchewan born and based tenor Spencer McKnight will be presenting Songs of the Great War at Third Avenue United Church in North Battleford on Sept. 10 at 7 p.m.
Accompanied by pianist Mark Turner and with special guest Lisa Hornung, McKnight will explore music that came out of one of the defining moments of the 20th century.
McKnight, who is familiar to North Battleford audiences, has garnered himself a great deal of attention on the national music scene. Three-time award winner at the national music festival finals, the singer has performed across the country and now spends some time sharing his talents with towns across the province. 聽
Together with pianist Mark Turner, McKnight has spent the last year researching composers, poets, and popular song that were written during the war.
鈥淢any of the composers we鈥檙e performing were young men conscripted into the war and many died, leaving behind a handful of songs,鈥� said McKnight. 鈥淭he music is so beautiful that our idea of finding songs from World War I grew into a full concert.鈥�
鈥淲e discovered a piece by English composer William Denis Browne, a composer we鈥檇 never heard of. After researching, we鈥檇 discovered that he鈥檇 died in action in 1915 and that only six songs remain. At just 26 years old he wasn鈥檛 yet a famous composer, but a remarkable young voice who was silenced too early. If you were an able bodied young man in Britain, you were going to the front no matter whether you were prepared to fight or not. So we researched music from British, French, American and German composers and can鈥檛 wait to share it with the audience.鈥�
The concert features many of the biggest popular songs of the Great War including Keep the Homes Fires Burning, Danny Boy, and K-K-K-Katy written by Canadian Geoffrey O鈥橦ara in 1917.
鈥淥鈥橦ara鈥檚 song was the number one song the summer of 1918, and when we discovered it was Canadian we had to include it!鈥�
McKnight grew up in Leroy currently calls Outlook home. He began his musical studies at the age of 18 with North Battleford鈥檚 Lisa Hornung. McKnight currently studies with Toronto based vocal pedagogue Mark Daboll. He has been featured as a soloist in performances across Canada, and is a regular soloist with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. He has been called 鈥渙ne of Canada鈥檚 finest young voices.鈥�
McKnight has been performing with pianist Mark Turner (executive director of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra) for five years. This recital marks their first concert tour.
They have already performed in Maple Creek and Marysburg.
Further fall 2017 dates: Sept. 10 - North Battleford; Sept. 17 鈥� Outlook.
Summer 2018 dates to be announced in Ontario and British Columbia
November 2018 - Saskatoon performance as part of Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra鈥檚 鈥淣o Exceptions鈥� Festival commemorating the end of the First World War.
