A Pupil’s Reflection on the Festival of Remembrance

Year 11 pupil Yazmin H (Howard’s) took part in the Festival of Remembrance event at Mossley Hill Church:

It’s nearly 100 years since the end of WW1 and to commemorate all those affected, the Liverpool College Expressive Arts Faculty joined with Mossley Hill Church and the BBC to create a collage of entertainment for the local community on Saturday 3 November.

The Art department were involved by creating a lawn of handmade poppies outside the church. This creative work was inspired by Miss McWatt and Mrs Hardisty. I thought these handmade poppies were striking yet beautiful, the attention to detail created a symbolic visual reminder for visitors of the church that Remembrance was fast approaching.

The music department, led by Mr Bishop, organised a ‘Mums' choir’. This choir included staff such as Dr McNamara and previous members of staff such as Mrs Alexander. It represented the collection of mums who during the war grouped together as a choir to support each other; as they waved their sons and husbands off to war. The choir also sang a collection of well-known war songs and before long the audience was involved in a sing -a -along too, this was both uplifting and great fun!

I was involved in the drama performance during the evening- the members of this small cast were Mrs Hall, my sister Eleanor and a former pupil of the College, Tom Martin. When writing this short script Mrs Hall wanted to focus upon the plight of women left behind and poor families who struggled during the conflict. Although a short performance, we hoped to communicate a strong message that sacrifices had to be made during war and it was not easy for women left behind to cope with the harsh reality of grief and loss, along with financial burdens and the dilemma of selling a husband’s best suit at the pawn shop.

It wasn’t just Liverpool College involved in the Remembrance Service; there were others whose contribution made the night as special as ours did- such as the Welsh Choral Choir. Personally, I have to agree that the night was an experience I won’t forget- not because I performed, or got a picture with Annabelle Tiffin, but because it made me reflect on how lucky we are nowadays to not have to suffer like so many did.

I’m also looking forward to attending our school’s Remembrance Service on Sunday 11 November and I feel this experience has made me understand and appreciate the significance of WW1 in particular. Finally, I would also like to thank the College for creating these opportunities for me.

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