NAC orchestra pays tribute to fallen soldier during Edinburgh concert

EDINBURGH, United Kingdom – The National Arts Centre Orchestra is paying tribute to Cpl. Nathan Cirillo during its current tour of the United Kingdom.

The soldier was killed Wednesday in a shooting at Canada’s National War Memorial.

The Ottawa-based orchestra is abroad to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. They were in transit when they learned about the shooting at the memorial and on Parliament Hill.

Spokeswoman Rosemary Thompson said the orchestra subsequently held a moment of silence at a small noon-hour concert on Thursday and then dedicated an evening performance to 24-year-old Cirillo.

She said celebrated conductor Pinchas Zukerman turned to the audience and announced that he wanted to respond to the horrible events at home through the beauty of music.

The orchestra plans to continue to pay tribute to the soldier, including at a Monday concert in London to be attended by Prince Charles.

“We were all shocked,” she said of the orchestra’s reaction to the attack on Ottawa. “We were calling back to Canada to say how is everybody doing at the NAC, because the War Memorial is right across the street.”

She said the audience in Edinburgh seemed moved by Thursday’s tribute.

“I think people are shaken,” she said. “I think Scotland’s very much like Canada, it’s a very peaceful place. People can’t believe something like this could happen in a place like Canada.”