Passchendaele concert, Belgium - October 4, 07

[Belinda]

Hayley Westenra in Passchendaele tribute

www.flanders1917.info/43-News-33.htm

Published on August 21st 2007

Hayley Westenra, one of the world’s most successful young singers, will give a free outdoor concert in the grounds of the Zonnebeke Chateau as part of the 90th Commemorations of the Battle of Passchendaele.

The concert, "Songs for Passchendaele", will start at 6.30 pm on Thursday 4 October and will last about 45 minutes until "the going down of the sun". The Chateau itself houses the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917.
Thursday 4 October is the day of the main ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) commemorative service at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passchendaele, and marks the date, 90 years earlier, when the New Zealanders succeeded in a push forward to ‘s Graventafel and the Australians to what is now Tyne Cot Cemetery.

Eight days later, the First Battle of Passchendaele on October 12 became New Zealand's most disastrous day in history. It remains so.

Born in New Zealand, Hayley Westenra is just 19 years old but has already achieved an impressive list of platinum discs. She has sung with Andrea Bocelli, Jose Carreras and Bryn Terfel among others, performed for Queen Elizabeth II three times in one week and appeared at the Sydney Opera House, Wembley Stadium, Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall on occasions.

She has also appeared at Belgium's Vorst National arena in Brussels twice - with Il Divo and with the very popular Belgian singer Helmut Lotti. A duet she performed with Lotti is featured on one of his CDs.

Hayley's music encompasses everything from classical arias and Maori songs through to contemporary numbers. Her debut CD "Pure" was a sensation, selling faster than any other "classical" debut in history in the UK. It went 12 times platinum in her native New Zealand, where it is the biggest selling record of all time. The success was replicated in the UK, where it went triple platinum (900,000), Australia, where it went platinum and in Japan, where it is the best-selling classical record in the country's history.

With her third album "Treasure" now released, Hayley has recently toured the US as a member of the Irish-based group Celtic Woman - four Irish vocalists and an Irish fiddle player.

In addition to her music, Hayley Westenra is one of Unicef's youngest ambassadors and focuses her efforts on a project named Hayley's Bikes for Ghana, which has already provided 6,000 bikes for children, enabling them to attend school and thus find a better future. She is also involved in the Women's Environmental Network, a group that raises awareness of environmental issues affecting women.

[Richard]

Thanks for the article, Belinda!

For those who are unfamiliar with this location, as I was, it's near Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium. See Wikipedia for the history.

Best Wishes,

Richard

[dutchjoyce]

WWWWWWWWW@@@@@@wwwwwwwwwww,
This will be my next one, i don't have to work on thursday and friday, so i can go there by car, and look for B&B.Very nice!!!
greetz JOYCE.

[dutchjoyce]

Reading more about Passendaele, i have to say that i didn't know there were Australian and New zealand soldiers in this War.Very interesting to read and learn more about this.
JOYCE.

[starbuck]

One of the things I like (among the many) is how respectful she is toward those who have served and gave their all for their country.
That is rare these days with the younger generations.
That she would take the time and the FREE concert, just goes to show once again that she is indeed a special person.
There are some days that I think she is older and wiser than I.

Good Job Hayley!!
James

[drew]

Sunday, September 16
10.00 Messines Free guided battlefield walks - "In the footsteps of the New Zealanders" (Book in advance; depart Town Hall)



Thursday, October 4
09.30 's Graventafel New Zealand Service at New Zealand Memorial
11.00 Tyne Cot Official ANZAC Commemorative Service
15.30 Polygon Wood Official re-interment of five Australian soldiers found at Westhoek last year
18.30 Zonnebeke Hayley Westenra: "Songs for Passchendaele". Free concert in the grounds of the Chateau.
20.00 Ypres Horomona Horo plays taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments) at the Last Post Ceremony, Menin Gate


Friday, October 5
20.00
Zonnebeke Anzac Memories: Dr Chris Pugsley, the New Zealand military historian, speaks on WW1 from a soldier's perspective with film from the collections of the New Zealand Film Archive / Nga Kaitiaki O Nga Taonga Whitiahua, and music by a New Zealand pianist (Marquee, Chateau)



Anzac Weekend
Saturday, October 6
09.00 Messines Free guided battlefield walks - "In the footsteps of the New Zealanders" (Book in advance; depart Town Hall)
09.00 TBA Free guided battlefield walks - Passchendaele - "On the trail of the New Zealanders"
20.00 Zonnebeke Performance by Maori and Aboriginal cultural groups (Marquee, Zonnebeke Chateau). Including performance by Horomona Horo on taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments)
All Day Zonnebeke ANZAC "Living History" re-enactors; Grounds of Zonnebeke Chateau



Sunday, October 7
09.00 Messines Free guided battlefield walks - "In the footsteps of the New Zealanders" (Book in advance; depart Town Hall)
15.00 Passchendaele Commemorative rugby match: London New Zealand Rugby Football Club versus a Belgian side being chosen by the Belgian Rugby Union. Details to come. For background click here
15.00 Zonnebeke Australian Theme Walk
All Day Zonnebeke ANZAC "Living History" re-enactors; Grounds of Zonnebeke Chateau
TBA Bruges Horomona Horo in a combined taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments) and Carillon concert. Ancient hall under the Belfry, the Market Square, Bruges/Brugge, followed by civic reception. Sponsored by the City of Bruges.


Friday, October 12
11.00 Tyne Cot Official New Zealand Commemorative Service for Passchendaele
20.00 Ypres Horomona Horo plays taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments) at the Last Post Ceremony, Menin Gate


www.flanders1917.info/13-2007_Programme.htm

[drew]

There is an interesting (hidden) link on the timetable in my earlier post which refers to a rugby match between London New Zealanders and a Belgian team on Sunday 07/10.

The Toll on Rugby

With the Rugby World Cup on this year and the centenary of the 1905 "Originals" tour to the UK last year, it can be sobering to realise that that World War One left very few New Zealand families, very few communities and very few workplaces unaffected. It also left very few sports unaffected, including rugby.

Of the 30 men who started the "Originals" All Blacks - England match at 2.40 pm on a December day in 1905, two died on the Ypres Salient. Dave Gallaher, the All Black captain, died of wounds he received at Passchendaele in October 1917, just four months after the Battle of Messines.

Starting the match on the England side of the field was John Raphael, a centre who went on to captain Great Britain against Argentina in 1910. He died of wounds he received on Messines Ridge on the day the battle began - June 7, 1917. In fact, although a British citizen, Raphael had been born in Brussels, today less than 90 minutes' drive from Messines.

Dave Gallaher's grave (right) in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's cemetery at Nine Elms, the casualty station he was evacuated to, has become well-known. Visitors have included the 1924 Invincibles right through to a group of former French internationals last year. John Raphael's grave is just four kilometres away at the large Lijssenthoek cemetery, also the site of casualty stations.

One other member of the 1905 All Black ‘Originals' died in World War One - Eric Harper, who didn't play in the Test against England that day, but played in the Test against France later in the tour. He died in the Middle East in 1918 and is commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial.

In effect, Gallaher, Raphael and Harper were "odd ones out" when it came to members of the 1905 teams serving in World War One. In 1905 many of the players were into their 20s or older. When the three died in the war, Gallaher was 43, Raphael was 35 and Harper was 40.

Projecting forward into international teams of 1913 and 1914, the toll becomes much more grim. Three 1913 All Blacks who played Australia died of wounds received at Messines - one on the day itself and two a little later. George Sellars (left) died on June 7 1917, the first day of the battle, while Jim McNeece (right) and Reg Taylor (below left) died two weeks later. George Sellars is commemorated on the New Zealand Memorial at the Messines Ridge Cemetery, Reg Taylor's grave is at Underhill Farm nearby, while Jim McNeece's grave is at St Sever, Rouen, France, which was a base hospital at the time.

A third of the 15 members of England's grand-slam winning side of 1914 were killed - the five included their captain Ronald Poulton Palmer, who was killed in 1915 by a stray bullet or sniper while superintending work in the trenches in front of Ploegsteert Wood down the hill from Messines. If fact, of the 30 men who played in the England-Scotland match of 1914, 11 were killed in the war.

The toll of international rugby captains is three - Gallaher of New Zealand, Poulton Palmer of England and Fredrick Harding Turner, the Scottish captain in 1913. He died on January 10 1915, aged 27. His grave is at the Kemmel Churchyard in West Flanders.

In total, 13 of the 213 men who had played for New Zealand prior to World War One died in the war, a proportion that becomes much more significant as those who were early players are discounted from the equation on grounds of age.

As well as New Zealand's 13, tentative figures compiled from a number of sources show there were at least 28 from England, 30 Scottish, nine Irish, 11 Welsh, 23 French, four South African and nine Australian capped internationals who died in World War One.

With thanks to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the New Zealand Rugby Museum, the Scottish Rugby Union and the England Rugby Football Union

www.flanders1917.info/62-The_Toll_on_Rugby.htm?PHPSESSID=7b4a8bac32d5ec8dceddd932524ce428

Hayley should be in Cardiff on Saturday 6th October to support New Zealand vs Argentina (please check my betting predictions Dave) in the Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals.

[grant]

starbuck said:

There are some days that I think she is older and wiser than I.
James

Hi James

Older, maybe not, but wiser certainly than most of us in many respects.

She is a true Kiwi through and through, respectful of her roots and of those that fought to protect and preserve them. She will avail herself of every opportunity that comes her way to enforce that special bond.

Taking part in this free concert is, I am sure, her way of saying "OK, I live in England now, but I will never forget who I am and where I came from"

Nor will we Hayley, nor will we.

Best wishes
Grant

[Belinda]

Hi Everyone,

Drew that whole flanders site is quite an interesting read isn't it
Grant Hayley will indeed do NZ Proud.
Joyce Wow you get to go to it i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif don't forget your camera and say hi from me

Belinda

[dutchjoyce]

I'm sorry for my first enthusiastic reaction,
this concert will be a very special one, and i realised it after reading about what happens 90 years ago in Passchendaele.
Compliments to Hayley, to make this memorial so special with her performance!! Joyce.

[Joe]

Hello Drew,

Thanks for that info from the Flanders 1917 site. Wonderful that Hayley will take part in the commemorations.

BTW, Drew...congratulations on your 'Maestro' status on the forum. You've done so much to support Hayley, and I'm grateful for your work here.

Cheers,
Joe

[petertong]

Hi James,

I do think its pretty significant that Hayley was there. Dig deep and you find that Hayley's Great (I won't say how many Greats there are here) GrandFather's brother had a son who was killed and is buried in Tyne Cot... just imagine how many more Westenra's would have been running around had he not been killed. So yes more than a few in her family gave everything they had for NZ.

best regards,
Peter Tong

starbuck said:

One of the things I like (among the many) is how respectful she is toward those who have served and gave their all for their country.
That is rare these days with the younger generations.
That she would take the time and the FREE concert, just goes to show once again that she is indeed a special person.
There are some days that I think she is older and wiser than I.

Good Job Hayley!!
James

[Stephany]

Had I been in France in October
I would definitely have joined you, Joyce! Enjoy the concert

Stephany

[dutchjoyce]

I know Stephany!!
Lucky You!!! Moving to the UK, means MORE CONCERTS!!!
greetz JOYCE!!!

[graemek]

dutchjoyce said:

I know Stephany!!
Lucky You!!! Moving to the UK, means MORE CONCERTS!!!
greetz JOYCE!!!

No Joyce...Stephany exchanges NO CONCERTS AT ALL
for .................................................CONCERTS AT WILL

I'd love to see her face when she meets HW after her first one.

Stephany, make sure you watch that clip of TV3 interviewing Hayley after she found out about her WC Anthem cancellations.
She explains the reason for her Hayley Ceili at Shepherds Bush....to support the AllBlacks !!!
And Stephany : Welcome back from all of us....hope you met Comet during your holiday in Dublin.
Graeme