Coope, Boyes and Simpson: In Flanders Fields, The Guildhall, Lichfield
- Written by Ben Macnair
On Remembrance Sunday the well known male a cappela trio, Coope, Boyes and Simpson paid respect to the war, the dead, and the survivors of the first world war with their critically acclaimed spoken word and sung presentation In Flanders Field.
The trio of Barry Coope, Jim Boyes and Lester Simpson packs a lot into the performance, using well known songs, poems, newspaper articles, and items from the satirical soldier’s newspaper the Ypres Times. The attentive and large audience are taken on a journey that looks at the plight of the soldiers, the full horror of war, the pathos of loved ones left behind, but also includes time for more light-hearted stories, such as the watering down of beer, the famous 1914 Christmas Eve truce where peace broke out over a game of football, and the sense of comradeship that was born out of these times.
The harmony singing is highly accomplished, being both musical and rhythmic, with sad songs such as ‘Shuffling Jack’ having a sad narrative, but one of the most upbeat musical performances of the night, whilst ‘Do You Want Us To Lose the War?’ had an almost music hall spirit to it. Many songs are performed throughout the evening, mixing well with the poetry of Siegfried Sassoon, GK Chesterton and Rupert Brooke.
‘Lloyd George’s Beer’ is a comedic song that looked at the ways that the government looked at to save money, whilst ‘Little Man You’ve Had a Busy Day’ looks at the day to day life to be endured in the trenches. ‘When This Blasted War Is Over’ is an intensely tuneful mediation on war, whilst the concert closer ‘The Rhyme of No Man’s Land’ looks at the loss of life and the pathos on both sides of the war. This is an evening that both remembers and celebrates the lives and times of a whole generation who’s lives were completely changed by World War I, and having it on Remembrance Sunday adds a poignancy to the evening all the more.