Victoria, BC – Young performing artists and military musicians take to the stage in Oak Bay for the 2026 Concert of Remembrance at the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre on Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. to honour service. Presented by the Canadian Heritage Arts Society (CHAS) in partnership with the District of Oak Bay, the annual concert brings together students from the Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA), with the Band of the 5th (BC) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, creating an evening of music, theatre, and storytelling that connects generations through remembrance.

The evening begins with music from the Band of the 5th (BC) Field Regiment, a unit of the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces, followed by an original theatrical performance by CCPA students, weaving together songs, stories, poems, and letters drawn from experiences of war and service.

Bringing both young performing artists and serving military musicians to the stage offers the audience a rich tapestry of performance, not only a concert but also a theatrical spectacle. Together, they create an opportunity to listen across generations and consider how stories of service are remembered and carried forward.

Music is an essential part of remembrance tradition. From military bands and ceremonial music to songs carried through families and communities, music has long helped people mark loss, honour service, and come together. The Band of the 5th (BC) Field Regiment brings that living tradition directly into the concert.

The theatrical portion brings the people behind the uniforms to the stage through songs, poetry, and storytelling. It explores the human cost of war, the lives and communities transformed by conflict, the women who stepped forward, and what subsequent generations carry forward.

“This year’s performance is not simply about remembering those who went to war. It is about remembering the people and lives they left behind, and the ways those lives were transformed,” says R.J. Peters, writer and director. “Ultimately, the concert asks us not only to remember the past, but to consider what we will do with the future that was left to us.”

For the performers, the concert offers an opportunity to engage directly with stories that may be separated from their own lives by decades or generations. For serving members and veterans, it creates a space for their experiences to be honoured and shared with a new generation. For audiences, it is an invitation to listen, remember, and reflect together.

For more than two decades, the Concert of Remembrance has honoured service through music, storytelling, and theatre. The 2026 performance continues that tradition while bringing young artists, military musicians, veterans, and community audiences together in a shared experience of remembrance.

The Concert of Remembrance is offered on a pay-what-you-can basis, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to participation. Proceeds will be shared between the Canadian Heritage Arts Society, supporting the continued touring of the performance to care homes and community settings, and the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre, an independent non-profit organization providing support and services to military families in the Greater Victoria community.

Following the November 7 performance, CHAS will tour the theatrical portion of the concert to parishes, Legions, community organizations and long-term care homes throughout Greater Victoria at no cost to the tour locations. The community tour is supported by funding from Veterans Affairs Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

Tickets to the November 7 concert are available at the door or in advance through CCPA:

CCPAcanada.com/tickets  boxoffice@ccpacanada.com  250-595-9970

 

CCPA Concert of Remembrance, creative leads

Compiled by: Kathy Alexander, R.J. Peters & Noreen Smith

Written and Directed by: R.J. Peters

Music Direction by: Noreen Smith
Choreographed by: Andrea Lemus

Accompanied by: Jeff Poynter

 

Band of the 5th (British Columbia) Field Regiment, creative lead

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC: Capt Daniel Moses, CD

 

Media enquiries: Sandra Hudson, sandra@sandrahudsoncomm.com or 250-216-1380