After millions of people had died, World War One was later referred to as "the war to end all wars", and it is on behalf of the men and women (and their loved ones) who bravely fought many battles on many levels and on many fronts that we honour their sacrifice with this album of solemn and sincere remembrance. Lest we forget.
The album features popular compositions, such as "Keep The Home Fires Burning" and "Danny Boy", as well as several that were penned as poems by soldiers serving on The Western Front, in a brief moment of solace and quiet reflection, while likely crouched in a muddy trench. Overall, the album takes the listener on a journey from the patriotic tunes that stirred men young and old to volunteer and fight, to those that recall their passing and doing their duty without remorse for King and Country.
Sacrifice and Solace, which its producers envision will be the first of a series of similar albums, was recorded at the acoustically perfect West Toronto Masonic Temple by an eight-piece all-male ensemble, handpicked for their known professionalism within the classical music industry and, simply, the quality of their voices, who were expertly conducted by Lynn Dalal.
As opposed to choirs today who sing the standards from Bach to Brahms and Beethoven, or in Latin, these new pieces will resonate among fans of classical music and also fans of history. The messages contained in these songs are poignant and will help keep alive the memory of those who fought "The Great War" over a hundred years ago for generations to come.