The three of us have known each other for a few years now, and we’ve wanted to collaborate on a project for a while. About six months ago, after an initial chat we chose ‘Home, Lads, Home’. The words are adapted for singing by Sarah Morgan from the original poem by Cicely Fox Smith.
It seemed to us that there was something poignant about the lyrics, inspired by events of the First World War at a time when the world is observing this conflict’s centenary.
During the First World War horses were conscripted as well as men. The words of the song are written from the perspective of a soldier lying at temporary ease one evening in Flanders. He hears the sound of harnessed horses pulling gun carriages and is reminded of his peacetime life in Hampshire when he would hear the same evening sounds but of horses pulling carts carrying the labourers back from the fields. He mourns, ‘both horse and man’ but also the passing from peace to war.
As our rehearsals progressed, we decided to record the audio in a church to experiment with the acoustics. Pleased with the outcome we have decided to offer our efforts up as a digital download in return for a small donation for Help for Heroes, a charity which supports armed service personnel injured in modern conflicts, and their families.
We really hope you enjoy the track – please give generously. Donate and Download the Digital Track
We’d especially like to thank St Peter’s Church in Parkstone for allowing us to use their beautiful building to record the track.
Jon, Jay and Louise