Quartet honours former pilot, musician with Remembrance Day tribute

An all-female Regina quartet will honour a former wartime pilot, flight instructor, violinist and conductor at a musical venue that would have been meaningful to him on Remembrance Day.

The Nightingales will perform their annual tribute at Darke Hall to honour Dr. Howard Leyton-Brown.

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Leyton-Brown, who was the former conductor of the Regina Symphony Orchestra and chair of the Department of Music at the University of Regina, had an office in Darke Hall. This year marks the first time the all-female quartet will be performing their show at the hall; previously, the group held two shows at the Artesian to accommodate the audiences.

So far, the ticket sales have surpassed what they would have had for two sold-out shows at the Artesian.

The 90-minute performance will feature well-known songs from the First and Second World Wars, including “The White Cliffs of Dover” and “We’ll Meet Again,” showcasing the hits of the Andrews Sisters, Vera Lynn and many more, according to the group’s website.

During the performance, Dianne Burrows, Marlene Hinz, Carolyn Speirs and Suzanne Williams will be joined by Barbara Flaten-Orr on piano, Quinn Bell on bass and Terry Schiissler on percussion.

Music surrounds the Nightingales quartet, having met each other through their love for music. (Carolyn Speirs)

Quartet formed during pandemic

The four women met each other through music, as they have sung in choirs and musical theatre groups together. Before forming the Nightingales, the women were involved in other quartets which featured two men and two women. They met during the COVID-19 pandemic and began to rehearse.

“We met on somebody’s deck for the first time,” Burrows said. “I thought, ‘I don’t know about this,’ but it’s been wonderful. We’ve become very good friends. We have a wonderful time.”

The women said they quickly realized what strong memories come along with music for both veterans and their families.

“Our shows have really turned into tributes to the memory of the veterans through the music,” Speirs said.

Some of the songs they will be performing on Nov. 11 were penned by the Andrews Sisters, a three-woman trio with tight harmonies.

“This has worked very well for four women to sing these fabulous tunes in tight, four-part harmony,” Speirs said.

In addition to singing, the women will be performing choreography, which they said will make the performance more fun for the audience.

Speirs described the performance as a bit like a variety show, “we tell stories, we have some humour, we sing and we dance, we do solos and we do group numbers with this beautiful harmony.”

Originally, the show featured a plot line. The quartet consulted with Denis Chisholm, the late deputy chief of the Regina Police Service, who was also a veteran who served with the Royal Regina Rifles.

“We had such a great time getting to know Denis and learning about his experiences. Since then, we’ve always incorporated the story of a specific veteran,” Speirs explained.

“When you’re talking about wartime history, it’s easy to talk about statistics, but we wanted to put a face and a name to the story.”

Since then, they’ve paid tribute to a specific veteran every year. The group said Leyton Brown was a natural choice, as he had many connections to both the University of Regina’s music program and the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Dr. Howard Leyton-Brown is being honoured in a Remembrance Day wartime tribute. (Submitted)

“We decided to do the show at Darke Hall, that place is all about Howard. He had his studio there for his entire career in Regina, so of course, it was the perfect place to pay tribute to him,” Speirs said.

Previous event honoured Regina’s last surviving Second World War veteran

The quartet previously honoured Regina’s last surviving veteran of the Second World War.

Osborne “Ossie” Lakness passed away on Sept. 28 at the age of 102. His memorial service was held at St. Mary’s Parish Hall last month.

Speirs described Lakness as a “very tall man” who looked much younger than his years.

“When we met him in person, he was wearing his legion jacket and he could remember very well the war years,” she said.

She mentioned Lakness talking fondly about his wife. He said the pair loved to dance to wartime music and continued dancing long after the war.

Shortly after Osborne Lakness celebrated his 100th birthday, the Nightingales quartet honoured him during their annual wartime tribute in 2023. (Carolyn Speirs)

Lakness made seven trans-Atlantic crossings. The ship’s company, numbered 150, and according to Speirs, Lakness called it a “big family.”

Lakness grew up in a family of eight on a farm near Govan, Sask. The Second World War was into its third year when he enlisted as a first-year agriculture student at the University of Saskatchewan.

“Ossie loved hearing our show, which he heard at his residence with all of his friends,” Burrows said.

He even showed up for the quartet’s matinee show.

“It was so beautiful. We asked him to stand and the whole audience gave him a huge round of applause in thanks for his service to his country. He had the biggest smile on his face when he stood up there. He was just delighted to be there,” Burrows said.