The voice of a Cochranite can be heard on a charity single penned in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI).
Brittany Hancock, who now resides with her family in Edmonton, was one of two principal singers chosen for the track, which has been dubbed “Ric-A-Dam-Doo.” The song is completely sung by the wives of PPCLI members — under the name of Homefire — to raise money and awareness for the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Foundation.
The song, named after the PPCLI flag, is written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and was commissioned by the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment.
“I thought I’d be singing in the background, behind Bryan Adams,” said Hancock, wife to Captain Jonathon Hancock. “I had no idea I’d be selected to sing a solo.”
Hancock is no stranger to singing, although she said she felt a little rusty heading into the project. She said the song took about a year and a half to come into fruition. She got started with the recording in Edmonton with the other wives, but travelled to Vancouver to record her solo.
“It had been awhile,” she said with a laugh. “And singing in front of Bryan Adams was unbelievably nerve-wracking. But he worked with Angela (Larson, the other soloist) and myself all day. By the end of the day, I had stopped being nervous.”
Throughout the music project, Jonathon Hancock was stationed in Afghanistan. While he was there, Brittany said she stayed with family in Cochrane and tried to keep life routine for herself and their two children: Markus, three, and Addison, one.
Jonathon has only recently returned from his tour in Afghanistan.
Brittany said what touches her most about the song — and the invitation to participate on it — is the recognition being paid to the infantry members and their wives.
“This is going to open people’s eyes to the troops — we’re living everyday because of them,” she said. “But the wives, we keep the home going while our husbands are away.”
The song will be played at PPCLI events, such as Remembrance Day and when welcoming home soldiers from Afghanistan.
Ric-A-Dam-Doo, performed by Homefire (The Wives of Princess Patricia’s Regiment) is available for purchase on iTunes. Proceeds will be going to support the PPCLI foundation, which provides support for Canadian military service and former military personnel in need.
The video for the song can be viewed at cbc.music.ca.
