as she danced
Click Image to Listen
Inspired by a description of Abbigail as someone who “danced her way through people’s lives,” Marco’s beautiful orchestral work radiates life, energy, and joy throughout. Marco writes “I hope that listeners can feel the humour and wit that Abbigail brought to everyone who knew her.” As She Danced is Marco’s elegantly beautiful tribute to Abbigail, whose vibrant personality and dedication to service continues to inspire future generations.
sub lieutenant abbigail cowbrough
Abbigail Cowbrough was a dedicated Sub-Lieutenant and Marine Systems Engineering Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy who was known for her vibrant spirit and lifelong passion for the military. Originally from Toronto, she grew up with a deep desire to serve, beginning her journey as an air cadet with the 534 Raider Squadron in Peterborough, Ontario. She achieved her goal of becoming an officer by attending the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), where she graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Her classmates at RMC remember her as a "go-getter" who fully embraced the rigour and discipline of the college. After graduation, she was posted to HMCS Fredericton in 2019, eventually deploying on Operation REASSURANCE in the Mediterranean—a mission she was incredibly proud to serve on before her tragic passing in a helicopter crash in April 2020.
Beyond her engineering career, Abbigail was an exceptionally skilled bagpiper whose music became a symbol of her "kind soul" and service. She had been playing since she was a child and was an active member of several musical groups, including the Union Fire Club Pipes and Drums and the 12 Wing Pipes and Drums based at CFB Shearwater. While deployed at sea, she frequently practiced on the flight deck of HMCS Fredericton, and she gained national recognition for a moving video of her playing "Amazing Grace" on the ship’s deck as a tribute to the victims of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting. Her love for piping was shared with her community and church, and her legacy continues to be honoured through memorials like the Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough Garden for Joy in Nova Scotia.
Bio & Photos graciously provided by Shane Cowbrough.
Sea Lavender has been selected to honour
Sub Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough
Marco
Marco is a Canadian composer, oboist, and pianist whose music explores themes drawn from literature, mythology, and symbolism. He was the recipient of the Eleanor Marzetti Scholarship in the 2026 ORMTA Composition Competition and has completed the Royal Conservatory of Music Grade 8 examination. Marco serves as principal oboist of the Kingston Youth Orchestra while continuing to develop his work as a composer. His music aims to unite expressive lyricism with a rich tonal language to create compelling and imaginative musical narratives.
As She Danced is Marco’s stunning contribution to Music for Veterans Project while completing his final year of high-school. Earlier this year, the work was entered in the ORMTA Composition Competition in the Open Class category where it received first place in the province of Ontario.
Marco currently studies composition and theory with Dr. John Burge, Professor Emeritus, Queen’s University. (June 2026)
