In Flanders Fields - World Premiere

Tuesday 4 November 2014
Keble College Chapel

The world premiere of David's latest composition, a choral setting of John McCrae's famous poem In Flanders Fields, will be performed next week by the Arcadian Singers as part of a concert commemorating the centennial anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. The concert will be at 8pm on Friday 14th November in Keble College Chapel, Oxford, and tickets can be purchased from TicketSource for £5-£8.

The concert will also include a performance of Herbert Howells' Requiem as well as the premiere of English Requiem by the prolific British composer Laurence Armstrong Hughes and his song cycle Severn and Somme for tenor, oboe and harp.

In Flanders Fields is one of the most famous and iconic of all the poetry to have been written by combatants during the First World War. Composed by Canadian physician Lt Col John McCrae, it was written in May 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres and later became renowned after its publication in London-based magazine Punch. Its reference to the poppies that grew around the graves of dead soldiers lead to the remembrance poppy becoming one of the most recognised memorial symbols for soldiers who have died in war.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Directions to the Keble chapel can be found using the map below. The sheet music for In Flanders Fields will be made available for purchase from the online shop shortly after the premiere.