DID they, or did they not play football in no man's land on
Christmas Day? It is a wonderful story of humanity between British
and German troops on the first Christmas Day of the First World
War, although doubt is cast on its authenticity. But there is no
doubt that there was a truce between the soldiers who, until that
morning, had been trying to kill each other.
Portsmouth Cathedral Choir will be travelling
to Belgium this weekend to mark its centenary (though not on HMS
Victory, however much these choristers might have liked
it). On Sunday, they will sing two compositions, including Howard
Goodall's "Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep",as part in an act of
remembrance at the Menin Gate. That morning, they will
also sing in the RC Cathedral of Our Lady, in Antwerp.
They will be giving a series of concerts during their four days
in Belgium, all with peace and remembrance as the theme.