Susila Bryant Memorial Concert honours late singer-songwriter's legacy at Christ Church Cathedral, August 10
Proceeds from jazz and poetry performance hosted by writer-musician Hadani Ditmars will support the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza
Late singer-songwriter Susila Bryant.
The Susila Bryant Memorial Concert is at the Christ Church Cathedral on August 10 from 7:30 pm to 9 pm
THE LATE SUSILA BRYANT, a beloved singer-songwriter and parishioner at Christ Church Cathedral, passed away last year after a valiant 24-month battle with ALS.
Now, her daughter Hadani Ditmars is holding a music-filled performance in her memory at the cathedral on August 10. Called the Susila Bryant Memorial Concert, the show will honour Bryant’s life and mothers everywhere.
On the cabaret-style program is a lineup of jazz and poetry performers who will weave together different cultural traditions. Among those taking to the stage is veteran pianist, arranger, and composer Bob York, who attended Bryant’s wedding in Prince George in 1965. The audience will also hear from jazz vocalist Lorraine Foster and Syrian singer-songwriter Grace Zakko, along with South African musicians Themba Tana and Shumba St. Albert.
Bryant’s grandparents were Syrian Christian refugees who fled to Canada in 1906 amid the Ottoman Empire’s purge of Christian minorities; they settled in a small village near Haida Gwaii. Ditmars, who is an author, journalist, and photographer, has researched refugees and displacement extensively over the course of three decades, reporting from Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and beyond.
Her book in progress, Between Two Rivers, is a travelogue follow-up to her Dancing in the No-Fly Zone: a Woman’s Journey Through Iraq that will touch on her mother’s legacy and great-grandparents’ history, as she examines how the disappearance of ancient Middle Eastern sites affects displaced populations.
Ditmars is also a singer-musician who has toured internationally, including to Mosul and Baghdad in Iraq, in support of peace and reconciliation. She will be at the helm of the Susila Bryant Memorial Concert.
Proceeds from the concert will go to the al-Ahli Arab Hospital, which is the only Christian hospital in Gaza and treats people of all faiths. On October 14, 2023, a rocket strike damaged its cancer treatment centre during the ongoing Israel–Hamas conflict. Managed by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, the al-Ahli Arab Hospital was founded in 1882, making it one of the oldest hospitals in Gaza.
Last month, in light of the hospital’s reopening, the Anglican Church of Canada published a message appealing for funds to assist its healthcare efforts. In a written statement, Ditmars notes that contributing to the cause is the perfect way to honour her mother, who spent much of her lifetime supporting international initiatives to help women and children. 
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