"It is the summer of 1914. The season is in full swing, amidst perfect picnic weather. At the Henley regatta the two sons of the Vicar of Hawkshead row in the Selwyn College Cambridge boat (beating, among
others, the Belgian national crew) little knowing that eight out of the nine young men in the crew, including them, will all be dead in the next four years."
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"Through their own words and music we will commemorate tonight those who participated in what subsequently became known as
The War to End all Wars."
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"Well a lot of people thought it would be over by Christmas, I was never one of those people who thought that at the beginning, But I put it down to about a year. We thought it couldn't go on longer than that..."
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"I'd had one year up at Cambridge and then volunteered for the army. We were quite clear that Germany would be defeated by the 7th of October, when we would go back to Cambridge..."
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"In Germany things are not so very different as Berliners also enjoy
the summer weather, parading and picnicking in the city's parks.
This popular march of the time captures the mood..."
the summer weather, parading and picnicking in the city's parks.
This popular march of the time captures the mood..."
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"When you went to the pictures you'd be shown crowds of young men drilling
in Hyde Park or crowding round the recruiting office.
The whole thing was exciting."
in Hyde Park or crowding round the recruiting office.
The whole thing was exciting."
"Oh we don't want to lose you, but we think you ought to go
For your King and your Country both need you so
We shall want you and miss you but with all our might and main
We shall cheer you, thank you, kiss you; when you come back again."
For your King and your Country both need you so
We shall want you and miss you but with all our might and main
We shall cheer you, thank you, kiss you; when you come back again."
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"It makes you proud to be a woman
When you make a strapping soldier of a kid."
When you make a strapping soldier of a kid."
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"For I turn all suitors from me
but the sailor and the Tommy; I've an army and a navy of my own!" |
"So on Saturday we're willing, if you'll only take the shilling
We'll make a man of any one of you!"
We'll make a man of any one of you!"
"When this lousy war is over, oh how happy I shall be,
When I get my civvie clothes on and I return from Germany."
When I get my civvie clothes on and I return from Germany."
"One morning two butterflies play in front of our trench. What can they be looking for here?
There is not a plant or flower for miles.
They settle on the teeth of a skull.
The birds too are just as carefree.
Every morning larks ascend from No Man's Land.
A year ago we watched them nesting;
the young ones too."
There is not a plant or flower for miles.
They settle on the teeth of a skull.
The birds too are just as carefree.
Every morning larks ascend from No Man's Land.
A year ago we watched them nesting;
the young ones too."
"The bells of hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling for you but not for me..."
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"Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile!
While you've a Lucifer to light your fag,
Smile boys that's the style!
What's the use of worrying?
It never was worthwhile;
So, pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile!"
"I didn't raise my boy to be a soldier
I brought him up to be my pride and joy
Who dares to place a musket
on his shoulder
To shoot some other mother's
darling boy?"
I brought him up to be my pride and joy
Who dares to place a musket
on his shoulder
To shoot some other mother's
darling boy?"
"The Armistice came, the day we had dreamed of.
The guns stopped, the fighting stopped.
We were stunned. I should have been happy.
I was sad. I thought of the slaughter, the hardships,
the waste and the friends I had lost."
The guns stopped, the fighting stopped.
We were stunned. I should have been happy.
I was sad. I thought of the slaughter, the hardships,
the waste and the friends I had lost."
Come on and hear, come on and hear
Alexander's Ragtime Band!
Alexander's Ragtime Band!
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Come on along, come on along
It's the best band in the land!
It's the best band in the land!
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They can play a bugle call like you never heard before
So natural that you want to go to war
So natural that you want to go to war
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That's just the bestest band what am, honey lamb!
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A huge thank you to our narrator Simon Shepherd and soloists
Bernd Steixner, Simon Surtees, Bogdan Kominowski,
Andee-Louise Hippolyte, Rebecca Gresson and Jo Harry.
Bernd Steixner, Simon Surtees, Bogdan Kominowski,
Andee-Louise Hippolyte, Rebecca Gresson and Jo Harry.
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Show devised and produced by Mike Reed, Catherine Jessop and John Theakston
with audio visuals by Julian Tanner.
with audio visuals by Julian Tanner.
Keep the home fires burning, while your hearts are yearning,
Though your lads are far away, they dream of home;
There's a silver lining through the dark clouds shining,
Turn the lining inside out, 'til the boys come home.
Though your lads are far away, they dream of home;
There's a silver lining through the dark clouds shining,
Turn the lining inside out, 'til the boys come home.
Heartfelt thanks to all of our performers: Peter Brown; Jo Harry; Sara Hodson; Abraham Mendes da Costa; Catherine Jessop; Adam Richardson; Michael Riley; Jane Theakston; John Theakston, Liz Abbott; Annabel Barnard; Katie Bell; Tanya Bird; Rachel Botes; Zofia Chalong; Anna Colton; Amelia Cloud; Kat Crowther; Delyth Dilke; Anouk Fontaine; Polly Fraley; Rachel Fox Cockett; Thalia Grant; Jenny Griffiths; Sarah Harvey; Julie Herd; Karina Jackson; Audrey Jennings; Isabel Jessop; Jo Killingley; Sally Little; Fiona MacGregor; Anne Marshall; Charlotte Mendes da Costa; Cathy Morgan; Deborah O'Gorman; Jackie Rayer; Katie Robins; Marion Scrine; Janet Simpson; Penny Stanley; Sara Surtees; Bea Vickers; Katy Warner; Val Wilmot; Juliet Wiseman; Jac Wort; Jeff Bennett; Peter Brown; Chris Dove; David Hahn; Sam Hearn; Carol 'Fred' Tait; Julian Tanner; Meg Dixon; Madeleine Jessop; Millie Morgan; Ollie Alexander; Sam Alexander; Maddie Atkinson; Imogen Barbour; Minnie Botes; Elicia Branch; Marnie Brighton; Honor Fox Cockett; Noah Colton; Zack Colton; Grace Cringle; Agi Crowther; Abi Dening; Kate Dening; Oliver Featherstone Dilke; Rosie Featherstone Dilke; Fleur Donovan; Harriet Fowler; Julia Gordon; Kate Harvey; Anna Hastings; Lucy Hastings; Mia Hughes; Elizabeth Hunt; Amy Kenningham; Maddie Lavelle; Islay Leeming; Casper Martin; Anya Redstone; Saskia Redstone; Saskia Richards; Cassie Wigoder; Hannah Wiseman; Oscar Wort; Robert Emery and Michael Reed (organ and piano); Ben and Bea Chappell; Helen Hathorn; Simone van der Giessen; Elena Hull (strings); Amanda Emery (horn); Robert Dominique (trumpet); Catherine Saunders; Rosie Timpson (flute); Helen Habershon; Richard Habershon (clarinet) and Peter Capell (banjo).
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And last but definitely not least; many thanks to the refreshments
and backstage team: Jenny Lavin, Jeff Bennett, Maureen and Chris Howard, Karen Young, Dan Moore, Sarah Theakston, Clare Day and Rachel Tanner.
and backstage team: Jenny Lavin, Jeff Bennett, Maureen and Chris Howard, Karen Young, Dan Moore, Sarah Theakston, Clare Day and Rachel Tanner.
