Cranwell Military Wives choir takes part in re-recorded hymn for Unknown Warrior centenary

To comemorate the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Cathedral, selected members of Military Wives Choirs at Cranwell have joined others around the country in re-recording a hymn sung at the funeral itself in 1920.
Military Wives Choir members sing Abide With Me as part of the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior. EMN-201111-092822001Military Wives Choir members sing Abide With Me as part of the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior. EMN-201111-092822001
Military Wives Choir members sing Abide With Me as part of the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior. EMN-201111-092822001

‘Abide with Me’ was one of two tracks to survive experimental recording at the original ceremony to become the first electrical recording ever sold to the public.

The project, which was produced during a period of present-world uncertainty under Covid, was conducted by Hilary Davan Wetton, one of Britain’s most distinguished and dynamic conductors, and produced by Sean Hargreaves, who has had involvement in previous Eurovision entries.

Seventy members of the choirs travelled from across the UK to record each vocal part individually due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The hymn appears on the album ‘Remember’ which was released by the combined Military Wives Choirs two years ago in time for the anniversary of the end of the First World War and was played on this Remembrance Sunday as part of a morning worship programme recorded at RAF College Cranwell for BBC Radio 4, which can still be heard via the BBC Sounds website.

Cranwell and Digby members say they are proud to have performed on this track and the album is still available to buy or download.

Of their involvement in this latest project, Catherine Priestley of Cranwell Military Choir explained that Westminster City Council approached the Military Wives Choir network to take part in the re-recording and representatives from 30 choirs from across the country were selected to take part in a new recording of the track.

Catherine said: “We weren’t sure about the new version at first but we love it now. It is quite spine-chilling and an honour. Any opportunity we have to do this type of thing we never have a problem with as it is at the heart of why we do it. Many of us have one or more family members attached to the military.”

The song was released digitally on November 6 and is accompanied by a music video which tells the story of the Unknown Warrior and captures the final journey through Whitehall to Westminster Abbey, and a touching documentary which re-tells the story of the Unknown Warrior as told by the Military Wives Choirs with footage from the original event.

Two Cranwell members, Helen Marshall and Claire Marsden, nervously travelled by train down to London in September to record their parts separately in individual booths.

“That was was something we are not normally comfortable with as we usually sing together which brings confidence,” said Catherine.

Conceived before the impact of Covid-19 had hit, and then created and recorded during lockdown, the production of the track became a journey in itself – showing the power of music to bring people together during difficult times.

The Military Wives Choirs is a charity that brings all women in the military community closer together and empowers them through singing.

The track was produced in a socially distanced way – 70 choir members rehearsed solo and then recorded individually, both with the conductor’s guide video. These vocal recordings were combined to produce the finished choral track, using careful mixing to preserve the Military Wives Choirs’ authentic and moving live sound.

The music team say they wanted to respect the history of this well-loved hymn as it would have been in 1920, while adding some 21st-century colours.

Catherine said: “It is brilliant. Of all the things we have ever done this is the best - it really strikes a chord.”

Of over one million British and Commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the First World War, some 165,000 would never receive a proper burial. Many were left in unmarked graves on the battlefields where they fell. Some were simply never found, leaving family members with nowhere to mourn their loved ones.

In 1920, one unidentified fallen serviceman was chosen at random and returned from the fields of France to represent all those who had died in the war.

And, on November 11, 1920, this unknown warrior was given a full state burial – his procession moving through packed London streets, before being laid to rest among Kings and Queens in Westminster Abbey. The ceremony also included the unveiling of the Cenotaph by King George V.

This national outpouring of grief followed a period of incredible suffering – and remains a moving demonstration of togetherness in the face of adversity.

Mark Shearer, Member for St James’s Ward and Armed Forces Champion at Westminster City Council, said “To be re-recording this single with the Military Wives Choirs during the current situation, and to be reminding people of this incredible event that brought the country together 100 years ago, makes this such a special collaboration.”

Julia Hudson, Music and Performance Manager for Military Wives Choirs, said: “Our choir members have come from all over the country during challenging times, to produce something that fittingly commemorates the centenary of an event that brought people together during the most difficult times this country has ever faced.”

Catherine said they have recently put out a video of their singing on their website during the lifting of lockdown: “There is nothing we can do at the moment. We were just enjoying getting together again. Our concerts planned for October in Nottingham were postponed and the date in march has just been cancelled too. We don’t know when we will properly perform again.”