‘Lest We Forget’ at Downton
The Downton Band, in association with the Downton Branch of the Royal British Legion will be marking the Centenary of the end of World War One with a special commemorative concert, held at Downton memorial Hall at 6pm on 11th November 2018.
There will be music, readings, a parade of Royal British Legion flagbearers and a short act of Remembrance together with a chance for the audience to sing songs from the trenches.
Throughout the early evening concert, the band will feature music from composers who fought in the war including the beautiful pastoral ‘The Banks of Green Willow’ by George Butterworth who sadly lost his life at the Somme and music by Ravel who fought for the French and remembered his fallen comrades in his piano work ‘Le Tombeau de Couperin’. John Williams’ ‘Hymn to the Fallen’, the film score from ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, the march ‘Death or Glory’, Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’ and Howard Snell’s ‘March Back to Camp’ will also be performed together with a musical celebration of 100 years since the formation of the RAF.
Downton Band’s musical director Paul Williams said, “It is appropriate that we will come together on Sunday 11thNovember in Downton’s Memorial Hall as the hall itself was given to the village just after the Great War to remember the lads who went off from our village but never came back. Their names are carved into the very walls of the building as part of the village war memorial and we will take time during our concert to remember each and every one of these brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice one hundred years ago.”
Paul added, “The band’s history is also closely entwined with the Great War. Almost every single musician of the band was affected in some way; many enlisted into the services fighting as far afield as Belgium, France, Turkey, Jerusalem and even Iraq. At least two members of the band gave the ultimate sacrifice, tenor horn player Ralph Bundy fell at the Somme and cornet player Harry Winton died in Gallipoli whilst almost every band musician suffered loss in their family of a brother, nephew, cousin or uncle. Some musicians returned to civilian life after suffering multiple injuries including the band’s cornet player Churby Bundy DCM who was hospitalised twice, once after suffering a bad gas attack.”
Tickets for the concert cost £7.50 and are available online from www.wegottickets.com/event/447857 or on the door. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Downton Branch of the Royal British Legion. Copies of Edward Green’s fascinating book “Downton and the First World War” will also be on sale at the concert priced at £9.50 with proceeds going to Downton Memorial Hall.
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