TRURO - The thoughts, words and songs of a Titanic survivor will be brought to life in Colchester County this month.
Rosalee Peppard, a former Truro resident who now lives in Prospect near Halifax, has been performing Living Titanic throughout Nova Scotia since the spring and she is now bringing the show to Truro and Great Village.
The Great Village show is on Aug. 11 at St. James United Church beginning at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a tea. The Truro production takes place on Aug. 18 at the Marigold Cultural Centre at 7:30 p.m. and features the accompaniment of Halifax-based fiddler Kate Dunlay.
The 45-minute show depicts the life of Hilda Slayter, a Haligonian who survived the 1912 sinking of the Titanic. Peppard began editing Slayter's unpublished journals last summer and from that was born the idea to do the show.
"I play Hilda in Living Titanic and use her actual words from her journal and she was a professional singer in Europe so I also use the songs she sang," including I Love You Truly and Nearer My God To Thee," said Peppard. "I do 12 songs in 45 minutes, so it's quite powerful."
Peppard said it's important for her to bring Living Titanic to Colchester County for a few reasons.
"It's my home and I've had such great support from the Colchester Historical Society and the people here appreciate my work," she said, adding, "it's very inspirational that we can be kind to each other and that we can survive, and thrive, in the midst of disaster. It's encouraging that reaching out to our neighbours changes lives."
She also wants to help ensure Slayter is not forgotten.
"She was an unsung hero and she also survived the Halifax Explosion."
Living Titanic is being performed in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic, which occurred on April 14, 1912 and claimed more than 1,500 lives after hitting an iceberg and sinking on its maiden voyage.
Peppard estimates she has already performed 20 shows of Living Titanic since April and will continue to present it for the rest of the year in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Chicago.
mchiasson@trurodaily.com
What: Living Titanic, stories and songs detailing the life of Titanic survivor Hilda Slayter from Halifax.
Who was Hilda Slayter: She was 10th of 11 children born of a Halifax doctor and his musician wife. She was 30 when she boarded the Titanic and was bringing home a trousseau for her wedding after a trip to Europe to study voice. She died in 1965.
Great Village show: St. James United Church on Aug. 11 at 2 p.m., followed by a tea with wild blueberry desserts. Tickets are $15 in advance at Wilson's Garage in Great Village, Masstown Market and at the door.
Truro show: Marigold Cultural Centre on Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for seniors and are available at the Marigold Cultural Centre box office, online at www.marigoldcentre.ca, and MacQuarries Pharmasave on the Esplanade.
