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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The pupils and staff at Liverpool College have collaborated with Mossley Hill Church to explore the human suffering, sacrifice and courage of families during the Great War. We have used the expressive arts to try and help share the stories of our community at that time. This collaboration all came together at the Festival of Remembrance at the church on Saturday evening:
Pupils produced the public art installation ‘To Sleep with the Flowers of Red’ in the church gardens creating a field of red poppies from recycling plastic water bottles. The pupils developed the idea whilst studying a poem by an unknown World War One soldier ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ and the art work by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper.
Drama was represented by a play, written and performed by Mrs Hall, that was inspired by one of the many families who lost sons, husbands and brothers in battle and the plight of the women who were left behind. The piece focused upon the resilience of those families and the importance of the community they lived in.
‘When the fields are white with daisies’ was made famous by Florrie Forde (1876-1940), and was performed by pupils and parents from Liverpool College during the event. Many mothers had the heartbreak of seeing their sons head off to fight in the war, not knowing whether they would see them again. Some decided to form support groups to help each other through the ordeal which, amongst other things, included choirs. The original music was composed by C.M. Denison & W.A. Pratt in 1900, and the new arrangement performed on Saturday was by Mr Bishop (Director of Music)
Our Remembrance events continue this week with a special secondary phase assembly on Friday led by Major Ridley (CCF Contingent Commander) followed by our annual Parade and Service in the College Chapel on Remembrance Sunday.
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