Wadhurst Culture presents
On Sussex Soil
a concert of music, old and new, to mark the centenary of the battle of
Aubers Ridge where 25 young men from Wadhurst lost their lives.
St Peter & St Paul's Church, Wadhurst, 2nd May 2015
The Field Choir, Bernardi String Quartet, Wadhurst Brass Band, Wadhurst Bell Ringers,
Robert Fuller
conductor - Howard Moody
Field Song 3 - War Helen Ottaway
Field Choir
Aubers Ridge, A Concert March1 S W Fifield
To the men of The Royal Sussex Regiment
Wadhurst Brass Band
The Lark Ascending2 Ralph Vaughan Williams
Andrew Bernardi (violin) / Howard
Moody (organ)
Cuckoo traditional
Field Choir (children)
Field Song 1 – Father Helen Ottaway
Field Choir / strings / cornet / hand
bells
Field Song 2 – Soldier Helen Ottaway
Field Choir / strings /cornet /
flugelhorn / euphonium
Alla Marcia John Ireland (1911)
Robert Fuller (organ)
Field Song 3 – War – reprise Helen Ottaway
Field Choir / strings / brass
INTERVAL (20 minutes)
Eventide variations on Abide with Me arr. W Rimmer
Wadhurst Brass Band
Green Bushes traditional
Field Choir (adults)
Cavatina John Ireland (1904)
Bernardi String Quartet
Songs from the Great War arr. Bruce Fraser
Wadhurst Brass Band
Unto The Hills3 Michael Tippett (1958)
Field Choir / strings
A Field in May1 Helen Ottaway
1. Birdsong and bugles
2. In Memoriam
3. Fragmentary Prelude
Field Choir / strings / brass / hand
bells / tower bells / found sounds /
wind-up gramophone
1
World Premiere
The Lark Ascending, containing folk tunes collected in Sussex, was completed by Vaughan Williams at the
outbreak of WWI
2
3 Tippett wrote the tune ‘Wadhurst’ in 1958 whilst living at nearby Tidebrook Manor. The local band
traditionally ended up at his house after playing carols around the village at Christmas. He always made
them welcome and once the leader of the band (also the fishmonger) asked him to write them a tune. The
result was ‘Wadhurst’, used for the hymn ‘Unto the Hills’ (words by John Campbell). This may be the first
time this has been sung in Wadhurst Church.