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Happy Canuck · 01-04-2004, 09:27 PM

1. & 2.
The Eclipse Northern Lights trumpet has the following characteristics that highlight the beauty, warmth and brilliance of the Northern Lights and the fit, feel and quality of a hand built instrument:
• Lightweight medium large bore construction with Medium Red bell;
• Scratch silver plate with 24kt gold plated button tops, valve bottoms and slides that flash in the light;
• ‘balanced’ valve cluster location, similar to the Olds Recording, with offset middle valve;
• Saturn water keys vs. Amado;
• Semi-Precious Gemstone Finger Buttons of Picture Jasper, reminiscent of the flashes of earth tones in the Northern Lights;
• Custom Maple Leaf shaped brace on the leadpipe crook with a semi-precious clear gemstone mounted at the top, pointing up, to the North.

3.
When you farmed on the Canadian plains in 1939 you had to know the seasons and watch the skies. By the spring equinox the winter wheat you planted should be pushing through, and when the fall equinox was celebrated and the Thanksgiving Turkey eaten all the grain should be harvested and sold or in the granary. You learned to watch the sky at dawn and dusk; it would help you understand how your labours would be focused. You’d observed how the animals went silent during a solar eclipse; you’d seen the nervous actions of the chickens before a major thunderstorm. But you were always amazed at the beauty and the magnitude of the Northern Lights. Standing on your land and looking North the lights would dance and play over your head, and fill you with peace.

Bill Knight was proud of his family farm; they had been growing wheat for over 30 years. He looked forward to building his own house on the land, getting married and raising the next generation of grain farmers. But just after the harvest of 1939 he read in the paper that the South Saskatchewan Regiment was being mobilized to prepare for the war in Europe. Dressed in a shirt and tie his parents drove him into town where he joined up behind the bugle band. Bill marched to headquarters, passed his medical and soon was in uniform. Training started in Weyburn, moved on to Shilo, Manitoba and by December 1940 the regiment was boarding the troopship “Pennland” on its way to England.

The SSR trained in earnest, and in May 1942 moved to the Isle of Wight to prepare for Operation Jubilee, a raid on Dieppe, France. Bill enjoyed the training and the friendship of his comrades, he was prepared for battle! On August 18, 1942 the Regiment received its orders to board landing craft. As they approached the coast of France an unexpected sea battle erupted on the left flank. The glow and flashing to the North reminded Bill of the Northern Lights he had loved at home; he prayed he’d see them from that vantage again.

The landing point was Pourville, a village West of Dieppe, near a ‘secret’ German radar site. Bill ran off the landing craft and onto the beach; his platoon came under fire. They fought well but as they were crossing the bridge over the River Scie Bill was fatally hit by a sniper. The South Saskatchewan lost 84 men in the battle, had 167 wounded and 89 taken as prisoners of war.

A. A TYPE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Bugle
B. A COUNTRY OR CITY England/France, Weyburn, Shilo, Dieppe, Pourville
C. A FORM OF TRANSPORT Troopship/Landing Craft
D. AN ITEM OF CLOTHING Shirt and Tie/uniform
E. A FOOD Turkey/wheat

4.
The Happy Canuck will fly Air Canada into Paris Charles de Gaulle, rent a car and head NW towards Dieppe. When the Brighton/Newhaven-Dieppe ferry docks Bill will watch for a walk-off passenger with an overnight bag and a trumpet case, that would be Leigh. After a quick lunch they will drive south to Pourville to see the beach and the South Sask. Regt memorial at the church. As the time for sunset approaches they will drive to the Canadian War Cemetery outside of Dieppe.

At the cemetery entrance they will pause. Leigh will open the trumpet case, “Bill, I present to you the Eclipse Northern Lights trumpet. Play it with pride”. Bill will respond “Leigh, I accept this trumpet with the understanding that one of its uses will be to play the Last Post to celebrate the sacrifice our soldiers endured serving so that we may be free. I play with the East York Concert Band in Toronto, Ontario and we will publish to all Legion Branches and funeral homes in the Greater Toronto area that if they need the Last Post, we will proudly supply it!”

Bill will then insert his mouthpiece, and after a pause, play the Last Post for the prairie soldiers buried there. After the last note a quiet peace will settle over the headstones, the Northern Lights will have played over their heads again.

01-04-2004, 09:27 PM	#28 (permalink)
Happy Canuck Pianissimo User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Toronto, ON Canada Posts: 174	The Eclipse Northern Lights Trumpet 1. & 2. The Eclipse Northern Lights trumpet has the following characteristics that highlight the beauty, warmth and brilliance of the Northern Lights and the fit, feel and quality of a hand built instrument: • Lightweight medium large bore construction with Medium Red bell; • Scratch silver plate with 24kt gold plated button tops, valve bottoms and slides that flash in the light; • ‘balanced’ valve cluster location, similar to the Olds Recording, with offset middle valve; • Saturn water keys vs. Amado; • Semi-Precious Gemstone Finger Buttons of Picture Jasper, reminiscent of the flashes of earth tones in the Northern Lights; • Custom Maple Leaf shaped brace on the leadpipe crook with a semi-precious clear gemstone mounted at the top, pointing up, to the North. 3. When you farmed on the Canadian plains in 1939 you had to know the seasons and watch the skies. By the spring equinox the winter wheat you planted should be pushing through, and when the fall equinox was celebrated and the Thanksgiving Turkey eaten all the grain should be harvested and sold or in the granary. You learned to watch the sky at dawn and dusk; it would help you understand how your labours would be focused. You’d observed how the animals went silent during a solar eclipse; you’d seen the nervous actions of the chickens before a major thunderstorm. But you were always amazed at the beauty and the magnitude of the Northern Lights. Standing on your land and looking North the lights would dance and play over your head, and fill you with peace. Bill Knight was proud of his family farm; they had been growing wheat for over 30 years. He looked forward to building his own house on the land, getting married and raising the next generation of grain farmers. But just after the harvest of 1939 he read in the paper that the South Saskatchewan Regiment was being mobilized to prepare for the war in Europe. Dressed in a shirt and tie his parents drove him into town where he joined up behind the bugle band. Bill marched to headquarters, passed his medical and soon was in uniform. Training started in Weyburn, moved on to Shilo, Manitoba and by December 1940 the regiment was boarding the troopship “Pennland” on its way to England. The SSR trained in earnest, and in May 1942 moved to the Isle of Wight to prepare for Operation Jubilee, a raid on Dieppe, France. Bill enjoyed the training and the friendship of his comrades, he was prepared for battle! On August 18, 1942 the Regiment received its orders to board landing craft. As they approached the coast of France an unexpected sea battle erupted on the left flank. The glow and flashing to the North reminded Bill of the Northern Lights he had loved at home; he prayed he’d see them from that vantage again. The landing point was Pourville, a village West of Dieppe, near a ‘secret’ German radar site. Bill ran off the landing craft and onto the beach; his platoon came under fire. They fought well but as they were crossing the bridge over the River Scie Bill was fatally hit by a sniper. The South Saskatchewan lost 84 men in the battle, had 167 wounded and 89 taken as prisoners of war. A. A TYPE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Bugle B. A COUNTRY OR CITY England/France, Weyburn, Shilo, Dieppe, Pourville C. A FORM OF TRANSPORT Troopship/Landing Craft D. AN ITEM OF CLOTHING Shirt and Tie/uniform E. A FOOD Turkey/wheat 4. The Happy Canuck will fly Air Canada into Paris Charles de Gaulle, rent a car and head NW towards Dieppe. When the Brighton/Newhaven-Dieppe ferry docks Bill will watch for a walk-off passenger with an overnight bag and a trumpet case, that would be Leigh. After a quick lunch they will drive south to Pourville to see the beach and the South Sask. Regt memorial at the church. As the time for sunset approaches they will drive to the Canadian War Cemetery outside of Dieppe. At the cemetery entrance they will pause. Leigh will open the trumpet case, “Bill, I present to you the Eclipse Northern Lights trumpet. Play it with pride”. Bill will respond “Leigh, I accept this trumpet with the understanding that one of its uses will be to play the Last Post to celebrate the sacrifice our soldiers endured serving so that we may be free. I play with the East York Concert Band in Toronto, Ontario and we will publish to all Legion Branches and funeral homes in the Greater Toronto area that if they need the Last Post, we will proudly supply it!” Bill will then insert his mouthpiece, and after a pause, play the Last Post for the prairie soldiers buried there. After the last note a quiet peace will settle over the headstones, the Northern Lights will have played over their heads again. __________________ Bill Olds Ambassador, Special, Super, Recording, Mendez Bb trumpets, Custom C trumpet/GR Butcher 65.6M Olds Opera & Ambassador A6 Shepherds Crook cornets/Sparx 4B Olds L-12 Flugelhorn/GR Butcher 65.6FL Schilke MII Trumpet/GR Butcher 65.6M If you have an Olds, go to http://www.theoldsregister.com/ and add data