Six singers from Thetford, together with musical director Kelly Stratton, enjoyed a memorable trip to Belgium as part of a 45-strong Military Wives Choir. The highlight was performing at the world-famous Menin Gate, where the daily Last Post ceremony honours Allied soldiers at 8pm.
To take part, the Honington Military Wives Choir submitted an audition tape and decided to join forces with members from the Wattisham, Marham, Brompton & Invicta, and Bovington choirs to create a larger, more powerful ensemble.
After an early start one Saturday in late October, the singers travelled to Ypres (now known as Ieper), fitting in a brief rehearsal shortly before their performance. Choir member Jo Cooper described the experience as both nerve-wracking and deeply moving. “It’s such a place of awe,” she said. “I last visited the Menin Gate when I was very young. I remembered the Last Post and how it made me feel.” The occasion was especially poignant for Jo, who celebrated her birthday on the trip and whose great-grandfather is buried in a Commonwealth cemetery on the Western Front.
The choir was struck by the size of the crowd gathered for the ceremony. “There were so many names on the wall,” Jo said. “The noise level was huge until the ceremony started, and then you could hear a pin drop.” During the wreath-laying, the choir performed three a cappella pieces: Poppy Red, Bring Him Home, and Abide With Me. Afterward, members laid their own wreath and individual poppy crosses. The Menin Gate ceremony takes place 365 days a year and attracts visitors from around the world.
The following day, the choir visited Poelcapelle British Cemetery, where the youngest recorded soldier, aged 14, is buried. They sang John Condon and Somme Dream at his graveside in the presence of the Mayor of Poelcapelle, before continuing to Langemark German Military Cemetery, Sanctuary Wood, and Hill 62. An impromptu performance of Bring Him Home for two coachloads of young people followed, before the group visited the Christmas Truce football memorial near Ploegsteert Wood. Many choir members had personal connections to the sites through relatives lost in WWI and all are connected to past or current military service members.
Anyone interested in joining the Honington Military Wives Choir (wives, sisters, daughters or serving personnel) can email: honington@militarywiveschoirs.org
