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Overview"The seeds of irreverent humour that inspired the likes of Wayne and Shuster and Monty Python were sown in the trenches of the First World War, and The Dumbells - concert parties made up of fighting soldiers - were central to this process. Soldiers of Song tells their story. Lucky soldiers who could sing a song, perform a skit, or pass as a """"lady,"""" were taken from the line and put onstage for the benefit of their soldier-audiences. The intent was to bolster morale and thereby help soldiers survive the war. The Dumbells' popularity was not limited to troop shows along the trenches. The group also managed a run in London's West End and became the first ever Canadian production to score a hit on Broadway. Touring Canada for some twelve years after the war, the Dumbells became a household name and made more than twenty-five audio recordings. If nationhood was won on the crest of Vimy Ridge, it was the Dumbells who provided the country with its earliest soundtrack. Pioneers of sketch comedy, the Dumbells are as important to the history of Canadian theatre as they are to the cultural history of early-twentieth-century Canada." Full Product DetailsAuthor: Jason WilsonPublisher: Wilfrid Laurier University Press Imprint: Wilfrid Laurier University Press Dimensions: Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.30cm , Length: 22.90cm Weight: 0.360kg ISBN: 9781554588442ISBN 10: 1554588448 Pages: 248 Publication Date: 30 November 2012 Audience: General/trade , General Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Temporarily unavailable  The supplier advises that this item is temporarily unavailable. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out to you. Table of ContentsSoldiers of Song: The Dumbells and Other Canadian Concert Parties of the First World War, by Jason Wilson List of Figures I Introduction II The Music Hall and Beyond III In the Interest of Morale: The Dumbells and the Development of the Canadian Concert Party IV Only a Soldier Knows: The War and Humour V The Canadian Concert-Party Experience VI The Dumbells in Peace Notes on Sources and Acknowledgements Appendices A Dramatis Personae: CEF Concert-Party Entertainers of WWI B Notable Concert Parties of the CEF and BEF C Important Casts of the CEF Concert Parties D Postwar Concert Party Revues E North American Tour Itineraries F Catalogue of Dumbells Sheet Music G Catalogue of Dumbells-Related Music H Miscellaneous Songs I Important British Music-Hall Revues Notes Bibliography IndexReviewsJason Wilson has written a vivid account of one of the most colourful chapters in Canada s history. He has unearthed a great story, which despite its significance has been almost forgotten. He captures the mixture of song, laughter, bravery, and gallows humour with which the Dumbells buoyed the spirits of Canadian soldiers during the Great War as they struggled with the appalling realities of trench warfare. In their wartime and postwar appearances, the Dumbells contributed notably to the development of a Canadian style and a Canadian national spirit. - Thomas H.B. Symons, C.C., O.Ont., FRSC, founding president, Trent University; chair, The Ontario Heritage Trust Author InformationJason Wilson is an award-winning Canadian author and musician. He is a two-time Juno Award nominee and is currently completing his Ph.D. at the University of Guelph. Author of four books, including Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup (2006), Wilson has been published on various topics, including Canada and the First World War, hockey, and music. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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