Sunday, November 11, will mark the centenary of one of the most important historical events of the modern age – the Armistice that would ultimately go on to result in the end of the First World War.
Since the start of the centenary of the conflict in the summer of 2014, many folk artists have been involved in commemorative shows, though it seems fair to say that few have remained as committed as the experimental folk and storytelling outfit Harp and a Monkey.
With an internationally-acclaimed expert in the field among their ranks, the trio was clearly always going to be better placed than most to contribute something of genuine historical value. In fact, the reviews they have received for the show, and accompanying ‘War Stories’ album, speak for themselves – one leading German music publication even went so far as to claim that their songs were perhaps “the most beautiful and important ever written on the subject”.
The stories contained here might well refer to a well-known period of history, but the angles at which they come at that familiar narrative, the microcosms they create, are truly individual and at times unprecedented. Thomas Blake’s Review of War Stories.
As the centenary events wind down, the Lancastrians are preparing to undertake a run of performances that are likely to provide audiences with the last chance to see the ‘War Stories’ show performed in its entirety for quite some time.
Band singer, historian and WW1 author and broadcaster Martin Purdy explained: “When we were first approached about performing a WW1 show in 2013 we initially refused, as we felt there would be a lot of people throwing stuff together that would be of questionable historical value – and we didn’t want to be associated with that.
“Then, in 2015, after the initial hype had died down, we were persuaded by the Western Front Association – with Arts Council support – to put together a performance that would question stereotypes of the conflict and challenge perceptions. That appealed to us, so we said ‘yes’.
“Over the course of the past three years, we have gone on to play in some amazing venues related to the conflict on home shores and made two documentaries about our experiences that can be seen on our website. It has been a really interesting time, but while our show remains relevant – having focused a lot on the ‘forgotten men’, the men who came home –we do envisage performing it a lot less.
“Basically, if you haven’t seen the show yet, then now might be a good time to come along. It’s really different, and one that is as big on laughter as it is on poignancy.”
People tend to view the First World War through a very narrow lens. You could sum it up with a handful of words: ‘mud, blood, trenches, futility, death’. They are all valid, but related to just one version of the story. The vast majority of people involved in the war effort never got anywhere near a trench, and for those who did, only a small proportion of their service would be spent there. That is not to minimise the horrors of warfare, but to simply point out that there is a far bigger and more nuanced picture. We often think of the ‘poppy’, ‘remembrance’ and the ‘glorious dead’ when we think of WW1, and it is right that we should, but we also need to remember that nine out of every 10 British servicemen came home. We thought it was time that the focus was put on some of those men and their families – the forgotten heroes who helped construct the modern world; many of whom had very complex feelings about their service with as much room for memories of laughter, camaraderie and pride as pain and sadness. Folk Radio UK War Stories Interview.
War Stories Dates
Catch the ‘War Stories’ show in November at:
Nov 4th: Wilfred Owen Festival, Peter Humphries Theatre, Oswestry School, Shropshire
Nov 7th: Biddulph Town Hall, Biddulph, Stoke-On-Trent, North Staffordshire (part WW1 show)
Nov 9th: Bramhall Methodist Church, Stockport, Cheshire
Nov 10th: Touchstones, Rochdale, Greater Manchester (3pm show)
Nov 11th: Longridge Schools Cluster Armistice Show, Preston Guild Hall, Lancashire (Matinee and Evening performances featuring songs from Harp and a Monkey)
Nov 25th: Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Noon show)
Nov 30th: Boston Preservation Trust, Fydell House, Boston, Lincolnshire