Tideswell Rememberance 05

I have had a wonderful weekend of song, gathering with friends to remember the lives of those lost during the conflicts of the last Century.

I sang alongside the terrific Tideswell Male Voice Choir in Tideswell’s Armistice Concert on Saturday 10th November. Malcolm Bennison, the choirs’ Chairman, created an interesting and thoughtful program dedicated to telling the stories of the young men and women who fought for their freedom and their country. The concert picked out the tales of six young men who volunteered to fight in the First World War from the Tideswell area. Sadly they were amongst the many men from this local area who perished in the Great War. Their letters, stories, and family history were shared by three members of the Tideswell living History Group, Gill Adams, Ruth Wilson, and Janyce Ashley. These readings were introduced by Charles Foster, a successful voice-over artist best known for being the voice in the courtroom for Judge Rinder. Charles Foster also provided a narration for the evening bringing the memories to life for everyone present.

Tideswell Rememberance 03
The Choir Surprised Me With An Impromptu “Happy Birthday Song” At The End Of The Evening.

 

I performed a selection of songs suggested by Nick Montague, the Musical Director for the Tideswell Male Voice Choir, accompanied by the lovely Alison Wheeldon. These included:  “We’ll Meet Again”, “Danny Boy”, “Roses of Picardy”, “We’ll Gather Lilacs” and “Jerusalem” and I have included links to two of the recordings from the evening.

Roses of Picardy

We’ll Meet Again

61 thoughts on “Remembrance Concert”

    1. Thank you, Martin, I hope you had a super birthday too, it was lovely being home I got spoilt.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you, Darlene, it is good to remember so we don’t repeat heavy penalties on people, it is good to learn what life was like then and sad to know some mother’s lost four or five sons and never themselves recovered from the heartbreak.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Merci beaucoup, Pascal, it was very sad to sing after such sorrowful tales of young men, some as young as 18 years of age, and one boy really that was shot as a stretcher bearer carrying wounded men away from the battle scene.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  4. Lovely performance and choice of songs. Evergreens for that period.

    Now mentally carry an image of me adding a gypsy violin improvisation over that ‘Happy Birthday!’

    Reply

    1. A gypsy violin over those songs sounds a delightful idea, I’d love to hear that. It was such a simple service for a full church which is always good to see, no big orchestration it was at times as though we were just sat around the piano reminiscing, the choir all knew all the words to the songs – no pressure there! I loved everyone joining in.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Really pleased you could make it Gill and that you enjoyed the concert.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. It was nice that we could record a couple of songs for you all. Thank you for the birthday wishes I had a lovely day yesterday.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you, Holly, I loved your Arlington poem and agree these wars need to end, perhaps it should be compulsory that those voting to make war should be at the front of the action.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you, Maria, glad you enjoyed it, I sang Danny Boy too, such a lovely song but the video was wobbly so I might put just the sound from the video on Soundcloud instead.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    2. Thank you I was inspired by the lyrics in The Roses of Picardy a song I didn’t know before this concert, it is a catchy tune though. I forgot to bring my little black wrap I have from London and it got a little chilly in the church as the night went on.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. So am I Trent, I learnt so much, heart-breaking stories told from letters home, I had to chuckle at one soldiers letter to his mother complaining she hadn’t packed his food parcel well enough and instructing her to use a little wooden box next time so that he could enjoy her home cooking better next time, he died five days after she received the letter, so very sad, that one story really brought it home to us.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  12. Thank you for sharing this, Charlotte. I have always been impressed and moved by how much better you English do remembrances and solemn occasions than we do on this side of the Atlantic. I was unaware of the birthday, but let me add my wishes for a very happy occasion for you and your family.

    Reply

    2. Tideswell is a village Peter in the Peak District which is a national park area and the church was very well attended for this remembrance concert, Tideswell lost a quarter of the men from the village, lots of the stories were of very young men 18-22 that died within months of a posting. I like to think the songs lifted everyone’s spirits from all the dark reminders of war.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. I’ve known a lot of these men since I was about 12 years old as they supervised at local music festivals I attended, it is lovely that they want to keep in touch with me after all this time and I really enjoyed them serenading me with a harmonised Happy Birthday, my Dad was so disappointed he’d put his video recorder away.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you very much Cindy 😊, I loved that the choir joined in with me, we must do more of that sometime.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  16. I’m not ashamed to say that you brought more than one tear to my eye, especially with ‘We’ll meet again”, delivered in your beautiful voice with every word so clear. So moving! Remembrance Sunday is a poignant time for me as my father was a victim of WWII and this shaped my childhood as we never did “meet again”, my mother being both mother and father to me and my two younger brothers. ‘Thanks for the memory’ Charlotte, and a belated ‘Happy birthday!’

    Reply

    1. I know the men well in the choir and I know they like clear English diction, so I worked hard on that so thank you for noticing. I loved watching them in the videos because normally I never see their expressions. So sad Roger but your mother obviously did a wonderful solo task with you. Thank you for the birthday wishes too.

      All my best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  17. Absolutely beautiful! Again, I wish I could have been there. Thank you so much for the videos and Happy Birthday from me! Xx

    Reply

    1. I would love to have a concert near you Clare. Happy to share the videos my Dad took. Thank you for the birthday wishes too.

      All my best,
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you it was a very well organised concert very moving. I had so many new arias and songs to learn this last couple of months I did wonder about fitting these songs in to my schedule but I’m so happy I did as I’ve had lovely feedback from them and I’m sure I’ll use the songs again.

      My best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you, Hilary, glad you enjoyed them, I’m hoping to put my recording of Danny Boy on to Soundcloud this weekend, the video wasn’t very good my Dad got distracted watching me instead of the little window hehe.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you Rev.Tim, we must always remember these were often young men and family men with children when we discuss previous war and conflicts, their stories bring all of this home to someone my age, one of the boys whose story was told was my younger brother Tom’s age, I would hate to think of him going off to war.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you Noelle, so happy you enjoyed the videos. I also sang Danny Boy, Jerusalem and Ivor Novello’s We’ll Gather Lilacs plus a bit of accompaniment with the choir’s songs.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. So happy you could make it and happy to see Linda and Ron again please thank them for making the long journey, Very pleased you all enjoyed it too.
      All my best wishes
      Charlotte 🥰

      Reply

  26. Egads!!! Beautiful post. I pulled myself together after Danny Boy. I was good until We’ll Meet Again. I have 2 favourite female singers in my life, you & Janis Joplin.
    ❦❦❦
    PS: The faces & expressions of the men in the choir behind you are marvellous!

    Reply

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