A moving return to West Wickham
April 30: The choir staged a triumphant return to West Wickham on Saturday, presenting a magnificent and moving World War Two concert to follow its World War One commemoration there seven years ago.
The concert, at St Francis’s church, was to mark the 80th anniversary of VE-Day, 8 May 1945, which ended hostilities in Europe. The choir sang a narrated selection of pieces to mark key aspects of the war.
Choir at West Wickham, rapturously received (photo Steve Lloyd)
The audience responded with a standing ovation and much praise. Bromley mayor Dr David Jefferys, who attended with his wife Ann-Marie, said the choir was “excellent” and Croydon's Deputy Mayor Richard Chatterjee was equally enthusiastic. (See photo below)
Praise for choir from Bromley mayor (right) and Croydon deputy mayor (left)
The choir, conducted by music director Andrew Moore, opened with The Soldiers Chorus. This linked back to the 2018 concert which noted that it was sung by Charles Gillman, father of bass singer Peter, while serving in Palestine and on the Western Front during World War One. This time, the narrative observed, there was far less optimism in the opening days of the war.
The narrative, read with great animation by Mike Savill, who performed the same role in 2018, progressed through the years and the countries involved, including the Nazi invasions of Norway and France, the massive death-toll in the USSR, and the decisive arrival of the US. These were matched with pieces such as Finlandia, Je Ne Regrette Rien and Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Narrator Mike Savill, animated and affecting performance
There was a lively set from the choir ShantyMen and an organ solo, Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, played by Sam Prouse. The audience was hushed when Mike Savill read a poem, Never Shall I Forget, by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.
An equally moving moment came when Mike Savill read out the names of some of the 134 people from West Wickham, servicemen/women and civilians, who lost their lives during the war, recited against a background of Sam’s organ rendition of Elgar’s Nimrod.
Three songs – Ashokan Farewell, Star of the County Down, Gwahoddiad (sung in Welsh) - marked the effects of war in Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
When it came to the final Home Front section, Charles Gillman was cited again, as he had been a fire-watcher in the City during the Blitz. And his son Peter – one of three choir-members who could remember the war – had a memento in the form of a scar on his nose caused by flying glass from a V2 explosion in January 1945.
The concert ended with a spirited rendition of Blake’s Jerusalem, with the audience participating. Then came the Lord’s Prayer and the national anthem.
The praise for the choir included these words from choir bass Iain Muir Nelson, who was among the audience: “What a fantastic evening of singing and story-telling! And what a privilege to be a spectator. The standing ovations were justly deserved.”