Friday 18th November

The Battle of the Somme

Centenary Tour

Clifton Cathedral

 

William Goodchild  Conductor

Lizzie Porteous Guest Leader

 

Laura Rossi Composer

Geoffrey Malins & John McDowell 1916 Cinematographers

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Norman Bowler Readings

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7.00 - 7.30pm

Pre-Concert Talk

Apostle Room

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A talk on 'Battle of the Somme'' by Richard Hope-Hawkins

Held in the Apostle Room, downstairs in the Clifton Cathedral.

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8.00pm - 9.30pm

The Battle of the Somme Concert

film screening with live orchestra

The Cathedral

See the iconic 1916 silent film by Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell, with composer Laura Rossi’s acclaimed orchestral score performed live by Bristol Symphony Orchestra.

 

To mark the centenary of the end of the Battle of the Somme, we are working in partnership with Clifton Cathedral, Imperial War Museums (IWM) and Somme 100 Film, to present this extraordinary and moving, UNESCO-listed historical film, in the striking surroundings of Clifton Cathedral.

 

Smiling awkwardly at the new-fangled cameras, troops move towards the Front in the Great War. Their actions are far removed from the usual swagger and march of war films, but this is very much documentary, not fiction.

 

The Battle of the Somme gave its audience an unprecedented insight into the realities of trench warfare, controversially including the depiction of dead and wounded soldiers. It shows scenes of the build-up to the infantry offensive including the massive preliminary bombardment, coverage of the first day of the battle (the bloodiest single day in Britain’s military history) and depictions of the small gains and massive costs of the attack. It remains one of the most successful British films ever made: almost half the UK population at the time watched it, hoping to catch a glimpse of a family member or friend.

  

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