Choir Sing at Menin Gate Ceremony

Handcross Park School Choir represent their Country at the Menin Gate Ceremony.

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The 21st April 2008 (Good Friday) marked the 90th anniversary of the last major German offensive of the Great War. Kaiserschlacht, as the German Spring offensive was known, was their last major effort and its ultimate failure hastened the end of the war in November 1918.

The Last Post Ceremony, which is held each evening at 8 p.m. at the highly impressive Menin Gate Memorial in the Belgian town of Ypres, was led on Good Friday by the Chapel Choir of Handcross Park School. This most moving ceremony commemorates the sad loss of over 500,000 allied troops, the majority of which were British, during the three month offensive. German losses were even greater.

Headmaster, Warren Hilton, who was present to hear the choir sing said, “to be a part of such an emotive experience on a particularly special day was a great honour and will, undoubtedly, remain with me and the children for the rest of our lives”. Several choristers have promised to return for the 100th anniversary in 2018, when they will be aged between 21 and 23 years.

Approximately one thousand people turned out to pay their respects and all very much appreciated the choir’s contributions of ‘The National Anthem’, ‘Let there be Peace on Earth’ and ‘I vow to thee my Country’. The choir, led by Director of Music, Graham Reid, sang beautifully and were told by a visiting ex-serviceman, “that their country would be proud of them”. Their parents and teachers certainly were.