THE CHANGING ROOM: NAMES ON A WALL
CD
Released 11th November
A joint project led by Cornish folk band The Changing Room and The Lost Gardens Of Heligan on a Cornish themed EP, commemorates the fallen soldiers of World War 1. Released on Armistice Day in a year that sees the centenary of the Battle Of The Somme. Perfectly timed for Remembrance Sunday.
Written by Tanya Brittain and Sam Kelly who form the core of Cornwall based folk band The Changing Room, the title track tells the story of the Heligan gardeners who signed their names on the wall of the Thunderbox Room before setting off to fight for King and country. Remaining undiscovered until 1990 the story and the wall remained hidden yet is now recognised by the Imperial war Museum as a ‘Living Memorial.’
It’s a fascinating tale; of the thirteen Heligan men who set off to war only four survived and set to music, it provides a poignancy and sensitivity which does the story justice. Of course it’s the perfect time to bring together the worlds of music and history and the title track, lifted from the band’s ‘Picking Up The Pieces’ album released earlier this year, is a right and proper memorial.
The song titles on the EP say it all – ‘We Will Remember Them’ and ‘He Died With His Boots On’ plus a version of ‘Names…’ in their native Cornish language are all done with a simplicity and fragility which pays a suitable tribute not only to the lost men but to the whole futility of war. The simple notes immediately conjure up a swell of emotion and contain an underlying passion which is carried through into the two additional tracks. In a just world, ‘Names On A Wall’ could be one of those tracks which suddenly gains a wider appeal – nothing would be more welcome to see ‘Names On A Wall’ emerge as the new soundtrack to one of those famous compilations of film clips which gather together striking images and scenes from the greatest war of all. Beautifully done.
Watch the video of ‘Names On A Wall’ from the album here:
The Changing Room’s website is at : https://www.thechangingroommusic.com/
They are also on Facebook and tweet as @ChangingRMusic
Find out more about the Lost Gardens Of Heligan here
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Words by Mike Ainscoe. You can find more of Mike’s writing on Louder Than War at his author’s archive. He can be found on Facebook and his website is www.michaelainscoephotography.co.uk
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