Coope Boyes & Simpson, Willem Vermandere and Norbert Detaeye
We’re Here Because We’re Here, No Masters NMCD8.
Willem Vermandere Norbert Detaeye
Piet Chielens, an old friend of Jim and Georgina Boyes and one of the founders of Peace Concerts Passendale, had already contacted them for information on some of the British songs and music used in the first Peace Concert, We Died in Hell - they called it Passchendaele. When the opportunity arose for a further international Peace Concert in 1994, Piet asked Jim if he would like to write and perform in it. Jim, Barry and Lester had just formed Coope Boyes and Simpson, so Jim suggested that the new trio might be a valuable addition to the vocal and musical possibilities available for the production and Piet agreed. In August 1994, Coope Boyes and Simpson, the outstanding Flemish songwriter and musician Willem Vermandere and Flemish ragtime pianist and singer Norbert Detaeye came together to create We’re Here Because We’re Here: Concert Party Passchendaele. Drawing inspiration from the Concert Parties that were given to troops behind the lines on the Western Front, the performance took as its starting point, the effects of the War on the lives of the people who were “here” - the villagers who lived in the Flanders and the soldiers of all sides who found themselves caught up in the world’s first industrialised war. Ringing with newly written, specially commissioned songs and music, traditional and popular songs of the time (the First War was known as “The Ragtime War”), We’re Here Because We’re Here was first performed in the Parish Church in Passendale. A year later, to launch the live album of We’re Here, Willem and Norbert came to Sidmouth International Folk Festival and gave a memorable re-performance of the Peace Concert. We’re Here Because We’re Here, (No Masters NMCD8) was also voted album of the year in Belgium and was a Critics Choice in Folk Roots.
