Coope Boyes & Simpson In Flanders Fields
The Royal British Legion Club,
Netley Abbey, Near Southampton
Saturday 11th November 2000
In Flanders Fields takes its name from the famous poem written by John McCrae
who was killed near Ypres in the first world war. It is a production by Coope
Boyes & Simpson bringing together eye-witness accounts of the war,
contemporary poetry and songs, and songs they have written for the various Peace
Concerts Passendale in Flanders. The performance at the British Legion Club in
Netley Abbey was the first production involving this particular combination of
words and music.
I was one of the 120-strong audience, drawn from a half-and-half mix of Legion
members and folk music enthusiasts. Although, because of the nature of the
subject matter, one would have expected it to be a somewhat morose evening, it
was not. Coope Boyes & Simpson took us through all the emotions. It was, in
turn, sad, funny, ironic, whimsical, horrific, poignant – tears of sorrow were
immediately replaced by tears of laughter. Images of ghostly voices singing in
the ‘enemy’ trenches at Christmas, of red cross parcels on Christmas Day, of
the football games in No-Man’s-Land when ‘enemies’ offered cigarettes and
showed family photos to each other – the trio took us there with them…and to
the misery and horror of the trenches! Another image which is left in my
mind is the moving one of elderly British Legion ex-servicemen, veterans of the
Second War, gustily joining in the choruses. There aren’t many First War
Veterans around now, but lots of older servicemen (and their families, come to
that) know the songs – which live on, as good songs do. Indeed, I was sitting
by one such gentleman who was gaily joining in on one of the songs written by
Lester Simpson!
It was quite moving to look around me and see the faces of the war veterans and
their wives who were serious, sad-looking and steeped in thought with head bowed
one minute and yet whose faces were wreathed in smiles the next. It was obvious
that they were enthralled by the performance. It was also evident from the
enthusiastic shouts for more at the conclusion (and the ‘folkie’ element
were not the only ones shouting out – in fact, the afore-mentioned elderly
gent beside me was the first voice I heard bellowing for more!), that the
concert had been enjoyed immensely by both Legion members and folk audience
alike. The Legion’s Chairman told Jane that he was deeply touched to see and
hear younger (folk) people in the audience joining in the choruses. And
the icing on the cake was that Coope Boyes & Simpson had done a wonderful
ambassadorial job for the folk world because the Legion officers said that they
would welcome more joint concerts at their venue! How about the same one
again next year? I’ll be there again in a flash!