Nation Cymru: How a Welsh soldier’s beautiful singing caused a truce on the battlefield

[mbriscoe]

I was sent a link to this by a Welsh friend in US.

 

How a Welsh soldier’s beautiful singing caused a truce on the battlefield

 

 

[geraint]

That's a lovely story mbrisco thanks for posting. I've not heard of this one. I researched a Ruthin soldier Furness Williams who became a professional singer and understudy to Caruso. When they were performing in Manchester, he bought Caruso back to Ruthin with him to meet the family, and both went round the Ruthin pubs to sing! Furness joined the Artists Rifles "to kill Germans by singing at them in Welsh..."

Another story is that when the RWF territorial battalions 4th Denbighshire, 5th Flint, 6th Arfon and Anglesey, 7th Meirionnydd and Montgomeryshire all went to Northampton to finish their training before the 4th embarked in November 1914 for France - the men took over the largest church in Northampton, filled it, crowded the streets outside, and an an unknown sergeant played the organ, they held a Cymanfa Ganu - a Welsh hymn singing session which lasted for four hours, Northampton reverberated to the the sound of a massive male voice choir, singing in harmony, with neither hymnbooks nor sheets used, The last chorus lasted for twenty minutes!

[Pat Atkins]

That is a lovely story - I wonder if it has a basis in fact, or is one of the many myths of that (and other) wars? Would rather like to think it true.

Edit: the newspaper story, I meant

Edited 19 October , 2023 by Pat Atkins

[kenf48]

3 hours ago, Pat Atkins said:

That is a lovely story - I wonder if it has a basis in fact, or is one of the many myths of that (and other) wars?

There are, in fact many stories in contemporary newspapers of men on both sides singing in the trenches especially at Christian festivals outside of Christmas e.g. Easter. It was reported that firing ceased when this happened, bearing. in mind that often the trench systems were often just yards apart. 

Singing was very popular and in the Bickersteth Diaries it's noted choirs were formed and even the 'non-religious' sought to participate.

Forum Pal @Paul Reed recently did an excellent podcast with Beverley Palin on 'Music in the Great War" with Beverley Palin

https://oldfrontline.co.uk/2023/08/12/great-war-music-with-beverley-palin/

[Pat Atkins]

Thanks for the link, very interesting.