Private Peacful.

[Graham]

   I had the huge honour on Sunday, of being asked to photograph a reading of Private Peaceful by the author Michael Morpurgo.
   A story of the injustice of the First World War and the use of the firing squad for suposed deserters.




  The story was punctuated by songs of the war sung by local (to me.) singers Coope Boyes & Simpson.
  At the end of the final song there was a stunned silence followed by rapturous applause.

  This was the final song, Iv'e heard many versions of this over the years and it never fails to reduce me to a gibbering wreck.
  Please forget any prejudices you may have about "Folk" music, there are no histrionics or false emoting, just quite wonderful understated singing by three of the best.

     
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2Gx27jRbYo&feature=related             

[Oldboy]

Well done Graham. 

[greypoint]

I love the simplicity of these Shaker hymns - I've got the Albion Band version of course. There's a stunning song about a WW1 'deserter' on one of the Maggie Holland CDs but I don't think it's on youtube. People do have prejudices against folk music but at it's best it has great power to move and some of the musicianship is amazing. I don't think I could take an evening like this - I'd be blubbing from the start!

[Hinfrance]

Powerful stuff.

[ABERS]

Strange as it may sound, considering the subject matter, I find this extraordinarily beautiful . The pictures and music combine to evoke that intense feeling of sadness and horror that was WW1.

Thanks Graham.

[picsfor]

Stunning clip and music. Thanks for sharing.
Nice to see Harry Patchem in there smiling, that's how i'll remember him - great man who really is missed.

With all these pictures of what appears to be an apocalypse, i just wonder how removed from the reality, the emotions they are evoke really are!

[mondmagu]

Nice one Graham,I'm sure you were very proud.

Des

[anglefire]

I enjoyed, if that is the right word, the video and music. I shall make sure my two kids have a look at it - both have done a bit at school about the WW1 and it might show them a bit more of what it was like.