On June 27 1918, the Canadian hospital ship Llandovery Castle was returning to Europe to retrieve Canadian war wounded. The 14 nursing sisters aboard had served since the beginning of the war, and were ragged and worn from their horrific experiences. Matron ‘Pearl’ Fraser’s job was to assess which of the sisters was fit to return to the Front. Just as their voyage reaches the Irish Sea, a German U-boat torpedoed hit the ship, sending it to the bottom of the sea. Only one life boat survived to tell of the ordeal, and all of the nurses drowned. The opera focusses on the compassion and caring of Canadian nurses and doctors, amidst the horror of WW1. Characters: Matron Marjorie “Pearl” (Mezzo) Rena Maude “Bird” McLean(Sop) Minnie Katherine “Kate” Gallaher (Sop) Sergeant Arthur “Art” Knight (Tenor) Major Thomas “Tom” Lyon (Bar) Oberleutenant Helmut Patzig (Bar) and SSA chorus (Mary Agnes ‘Nan” McKenzie; Christina Campbell; Alexina Dussault)