The first event on the Forget Never – The Somme Project programme took place on Friday 10th June at Basildon Studios, Bentalls, Basildon.
Three members of the German folk band, Fricklesome Amsel arrived in England on Thursday 9th – Peter Klaus, Rike Ullenbaum and Hannes Johannsen. The fourth member, Sebastian Zimmerman has just started a new job and unfortunately wasn’t able to come.
All the pupils in year 3 at Lee Chapel Primary School and an award-winning choir from Beauchamps High School had learned the song ‘The Padre’, written by song-writer, Chris Hoban, by singing along to a piano recording Fricklesome had sent from Germany.
A reporter from Gateway FM interviewed the band and a photographer from the Yellow Advertiser took photos of many of them and of many of the children.
Class 10, the first of the three classes in year 3, arrived from Lee Chapel School with head of music, Ms Sewell, as well as their teacher and other members of staff.
Usually, John Summerton who owns and runs Basildon Studios, records bands and singers in a special recording studio upstairs but it was decided that a large studio downstairs would be more comfortable for thirty children. John set up the downstairs studio with microphones while he operated the recording equipment upstairs. In the third photo, the children are looking up at the small window between their studio and the one upstairs, listening to John speak to them over the speaker.
Class 11 and staff members arrived when Class 10 had gone and finally Class 12 came to record their part. The singing was amazing and it only took a few takes to get the soundtracks.
Finally, the choir from Beauchamps High School and Head of Music, Mr. Byford arrived. The choir includes students from years 7,8,9 and 10 and together, they have won many awards.
The patron of the Forget Never – The Somme Project, Stephen Metcalfe MP arrived to hear the Beauchamps High School choir and to congratulate them on their singing.
During the day, between choirs arriving, the members of Fricklesome recorded their soundtracks. Hannes played the guitar, Rike the violin and viola, and Peter sang the lyrics.
Mr. Metcalfe met the studio owner, John, and was given a tour of the recording studio and a demonstration of the mixing of the various soundtracks.
The band members and John set about the long process of mixing all the sound tracks that had been recorded during the day.
Once everyone was satisfied, there was time for the band to pose with John.
We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who played any part in the day. It was an ambitious undertaking but very enjoyable and thankfully, completely successful.
The CD of ‘The Padre’ will be launched on 01 July 2016 at the 7.30 vigil to commemorate the day when the Tommies went over the top for the first time during the Battle of the Somme. For more details about our programme for this year, click here
Forget Never - The Somme 
It was such a great experience ! We say thank to everyone who is involved in this wonderfull project. Rike from fricklesome.
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