Skip to content

Canadian nurses

Nursing Sisters WW1

Writing Llandovery Castle (the opera) Question #1

I’ve had lots of questions about our upcoming opera project ‘Llandovery Castle’ so I’ll use the forum of my blog to attempt some answers. I welcome your feedback and further inquiry! Question #1. Why are there 3 male characters in an opera about 14 women? It’s a great question. I’ll confess I was surprised when Paul Ciufo’s scenes began to emerge. I never really imagined that I would be compelled to write music for the bad guy! But I’ve come to trust my librettist’s dramatic instincts. He understands that opera needs contrast; good theatre requires dramatic ‘chiaroscuro’ and our objective… Read More »Writing Llandovery Castle (the opera) Question #1

Nursing sister Mary Agnes McKenzie

Those splendid girls

These are the names of the 14 nurses who died on June 27, 1918 when their Canadian hospital ship ‘Llandovery Castle’ was torpedoed in the Atlantic. Matron Margaret “Pearl” Fraser (New Glasgow NS) Christina Campbell (Victoria BC) Carola Josephine Douglas (Toronto ON) Alexina Dussault (St-Hyacinthe QC) Minnie Asenath Follette (Port Greville NS) Margaret Jane Fortescue (York Factory Man) Minnie Katherine Gallaher (Kingston ON) Jessie Mabel McDiarmid (Ashton ON) Mary Agnes “Nan” McKenzie (Toronto ON) Rena Maude “Bird” McLean (Souris P.E.I.) Mae Belle Sampson (Simcoe ON ) Gladys Irene Sare (Montreal QC) Anna Irene Stamers (Saint John NB) Jean Templeman (Ottawa… Read More »Those splendid girls

Llandovery Castle

The Llandovery Castle

It’s now no secret. I’m writing an opera. The subject is the Canadian hospital ship ‘Llandovery Castle’ and her doomed voyage to Britain in 1918, with 14 Canadian nurses on board. I will tell you more very soon, about how this came about, how I found my librettist Paul Ciufo and collaborating producers of the Bicycle Opera Project, but I just wanted to share this article by Cassandra Szklarski of the National Post because it is so cool and terrifying to have press before we’ve finished writing. Click here to read Cassandra’s excellent write-up. http://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/opera-to-focus-on-great-war-nurses-100-years-after-hospital-ship-sinking