20 June 2018

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A choir from East Grinstead who sang at the daily Last Post ceremony in Ypres were praised for making it extra special for the hundreds of people gathered to remember the fallen from the First World War.

East Grinstead Choral Society members sang two specially selected songs while poppy wreaths were laid at the famous Menin Gate memorial in the Belgian town.

The Last Post, the traditional final salute to the fallen, is played by the buglers in honour of the memory of the 300,000 soldiers from the British and Commonwealth, who died in battles in the so-called Ypres Salient.

The service, which attracts hundreds of visitors, takes place every evening at 8pm at the Menin Gate, a memorial whose walls are inscribed with the names of almost 55,000 soldiers who have no known last resting place.

Chairman Richard Young said it was a very emotional experience for the choir.

“The response from the crowd afterwards was incredible, with people of different nationalities coming up to us to say how beautifully we sang and to thank us for making the occasion so special for them.”

As well as taking part in the Last Post Ceremony, the choir also sang at Mass at St Martin’s Cathedral and morning eucharist at St George’s, an Anglican church built in Ypres to serve both as permanent memorial to the dead and as a meeting place for the visiting relatives.

East Grinstead Choral Society’s next event is a Summer Soiree – an evening of popular choral classics and songs from West Side Story and Oliver!  – on Saturday 23 June at Imberhorne Lower School, Windmill Lane, East Grinstead. They will be joined by young voices from St Mary’s Primary School. Tickets, price £15, include a light supper and are available in advance only from choir members or by calling 01342 328774.

The choir will also be performing at East Court Live, the free party in the park on East Grinstead’s East Court terraces on Sunday 1 July.

Poignant moment: East Grinstead Choral Society at the Menin Gate, the walls of which are inscribed with the names of almost 55,000 fallen soldiers

Musical memories: the choir at St George’s Anglican Church in Ypres where they sang at morning eucharist.

Lasting tribute: The Menin Gate is a memorial to soldiers who have no known grave

Tragic waste: the choir visited Tyne Cot, the largest cemetery for British and Commonwealth forces in the world

The choir rehearses every Thursday evening during term time from 7.30pm to 9.45pm at the Jubilee Community Centre, East Grinstead, and new members would be made very welcome.

To find out about the choir visit www.egcs.org.uk.