In
1997, to mark the eightieth anniversary the people of Passendale invited Coope
Boyes & Simpson and the Brussels-based octet, Panta Rhei to create
Passchendaele Suite, a cycle of songs and music which was first performed in the
town’s main square and later in front of an audience of more than fourteen
thousand on the Main Stage at the Dranouter Folk Festival. Using specially
written, contemporary and traditional music, the Suite adds new perspectives to
the tragedy of the Great War. Lost dreams of the New Zealand troops who
came half across the world, the Irish poet who wrote of hillside farms and
birdsong amid the carnage of the trenches, fragments of older battles fought on
the Bloody Field of Flanders and above all - accompanied or in haunting
acappella - stories of those who survived but were never the same or were laid
low never to be hurt again.
Thanks to the vision and support of Richard Patterson, 1999 saw the first English tour of Passchendaele Suite with Panta Rhei’s stunning new line-up. The addition of special lighting and stage setting – complimented by superb sound - brought an unforgettable performance to Chatham, London, Huddersfield and Norwich.
“A
painful beauty” Het Nieuwsblad
“Music
seldom performs so savage an indictment against destruction.” New
Internationalist
“... it succeeds triumphantly. Brilliant - no question.” Folk Roots