Remastered ‘Battle of the Ancre’ screening with live Piano Accompaniment

[Chief_Chum]

If you enjoy the cinema, music, and a fantastic atmosphere, as well as Great War history, here is an opportunity you won’t want to miss.

There is now just under a week until our live screening of The Battle of The Somme part 2, as ‘The Battle of The Ancre and Advance of The Tanks’ is often known, at Great War Huts, in Hawstead, near Bury St Edmunds.

This is going to be a real cinematic experience, and nothing like any other film that many of you will have watched before.

The silent film will be accompanied by the original musical score, performed on a 100+ year old piano, by the award-winning accompanist Stephen Horne. 

It will be a lively and up-beat performance, as anyone who attended our 2016 live showing of The Battle of The Somme part 1 can confirm!

The screening, inside our original First World War Recreation Hut, which would have been used for film screenings during the war, all adds to the effect. 

It really is as close to the experience of many of those who saw the film when it was first released in 1917 as it is possible to be!

In addition to Stephen’s brilliant piano playing, there will be an introduction to the film by Toby Haggith from the Imperial War Museum, who oversaw the re-mastering of the film for the IWM in conjunction with the BFI.

Historian and author, Richard van Emden, will also give a short talk about Norman Collins, one of the First World War veterans that he interviewed and knew well, who took part in the Battle of the Ancre.

After the film there will be a Q&A session with Stephen, Toby and Richard, chaired by Taff.

The film itself is not as well known as the one which covers the first part of the battle, despite being, cinematically, a much better film. 

It covers the last few weeks of the Battle of the Somme and includes the first film footage of Tanks ever seen by the public. 

In its remastered and digitised form it is a wonderful piece of cinema history.

As always, tea and cake will be available along with the opportunity to catch up with the work that has been going on at Great War Huts.

Don’t miss it!

Saturday 10th June - 1.30pm for a 2pm start.

For more information and tickets:

https://www.greatwarhuts.org/event-details/matinee-the-battle-of-the-ancre-and-advance-of-the-tanks-with-live-piano-accompaniment