In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields takes its name from the poem written by John McCrae who was killed near Yprès in the First War. Written and compiled by Coope Boyes and Simpson, the production is a tribute to lives caught up in the War to end all Wars. It brings together the humour of the soldiers on the Western Front who contributed to the famous Trench magazine, The Wipers Times, the poetry which turned experience of ‘the pity of war’ into a lasting memorial and – most evocative of all - music of the time and specially commissioned songs.
Combining words and music for In Flanders Fields is particularly significant. Soldiers sang as they marched to the Front, pianos and gramophones were given a place in the deepest German trenches, enemies joined in carol singing during the Truce of Christmas 1914 - it was called “The Ragtime War”. Haunting and irreverent, these songs catch the indestructible spirit that defied one of the greatest human tragedies of the twentieth century.
“It was, in turn, sad, funny, ironic, whimsical, horrific, poignant – tears of sorrow were immediately replaced by tears of laughter.” Folk on Tap
1 Nov – Coope Boyes & Simpson
In Flanders Fields
St.Michael's Church, Coxwold – 8.00 pm
Tickets & Info: 01347 868465 / shandyhall@dial.pipex.com
24 Nov - Coope Boyes & Simpson
In Flanders Fields
Spotlight Theatre, Bridlington – 7.30 pm
Info: 07870171992
Hearts of Coal – with Barry Coope, Jim Boyes, Janet Russell,
Otley Civic Centre
Hearts of Coal - Nigel Schofield
Where are you tonight now we need you
They broke the hearts of coal –
John Tams
There were two
production of this remarkable folk oratorio over the first weekend in March: I
attended the Sunday show at Otley Civic Hall.
Twenty years on from the end of the Miners’ Strike, Barry Coope, Jim Boyes,
Ray Hearne, Georgina Boyes, Janet Russell and the massed voices of The Roses
& Thorns Choir combined forces to celebrate the men and women of the
Yorkshire mining industry, their struggle, their triumphs and most of all their
sense of community. The soloists not only contributed individual songs but also
took us on a journey which traced mining from the thirteenth century (surface
mining) to the present day (proposed privatised deep pits); as the story
unfolded, rich in individual detail and detailed individuals, we found ourselves
moved and amused, saddened and elated, informed and always entertained. Ray
Hearne, in particular, delivered a classic performance, his full South Yorkshire
vowels rendering the tale vivid while his song Yorkshire Colliery, set to the
tune Monksgate, appeared in quatrain fragments, a rich seam which bound the
whole together.
I use the term “massed voices” deliberately. The stage was filled six deep
with a choir drawn from several singing groups in the area, each shedding its
unique identity to become part of a stunning whole. The choral singing was
literally breathtaking, a great wave of human sound that combined passion with
precision. The songs ranged from familiar Union anthems to a Methodist hymn,
from a
Like the whole performance, it was the variety of textures which was most
impressive in the choir’s performance. This was true not only of the variety
from song to song, but also within the songs themselves – the steadily
swelling counterpoint of Amazing Love, the solid stanzas and triumphal refrain
of Unity, the seemingly impromptu burst of John Barleycorn. Nothing, however,
could surpass the closing medley of Remembrance Day and Coal Not Dole. John Tams
and Kay Sutcliffe are authentic voices of the miners’ struggle, but the
familiar hymn tune of Tams’ song and the extensive performance of
Sutcliffe’s can render them hackneyed and diminish their power. Not in this
performance, however. The choir restored the songs’ integrity, perspicacity,
dignity and resolution. Tears flowed among the audience at the sheer power of
these performances.
It is little surprise that the audience wanted more – not just an encore
(Miners Lifeguard restored to its original tune) – but more such moving and
emotive events, and more singing of this calibre. The lucky few who found
themselves in the crowded pub afterwards enjoyed two more hours of rather more
informal harmonising.
In just a few weeks, these performances and these people had come together going
from “strength to strength and line by line”. Hearts Of Coal is a story of
community, of people with a common purpose and a productive bond. The
achievement of these amateur singers, and of their leaders, in bringing together
such a powerful and commanding performance in a very short space of time is both
a reflection of and a tribute to that spirit.
Nigel
Schofield.
with
John Tams & Barry Coope, Coope Boyes & Simpson, Judy Dunlop & Jon
Scaife, Cross o' th' Hands, Rogues Gallery, Keith Kendrick & Sylvia Needham
A
wonderful concert organised by John & Sally Tams, Mick Peat & Celia
Richmond, it raised over £7000 for Tsunami Relief
Photo
Andrew Basford
http://www.johnnylondon.co.uk/5695/20169.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*v
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Coope Boyes & Simpson with the Resolut Choir and their musicians “Zaadjes van papaver” [“Seeds from the Poppies”] 28 and 29 November 2003 - Beveren, East Flanders, Belgium.
At the end of November 2003, Coope Boyes and Simpson joined the Flemish choir, Resolut, at the Ter Vesten Cultural Centre in Beveren near Antwerp for two performances of “Zaadjes van papaver” [“Seeds from the Poppies”]. These concerts combined Coope Boyes and Simpson’s acappella songs with Resolut’s large scale choral singing and musicians in a words and music production illustrated with slide and film projections. They formed part of an extensive season of work at Ter Vesten which dealt with questions of conflict and peace in a range of media from photography and dance to film and drama. Both concerts were completely sold out.