The songs and music of the First World War, from both popular entertainment of the time and songs ‘adopted’ by the military, still have the power to stimulate an emotional response. This was demonstrated last month by a performance of “Far Far from Ypres” at the Celtic Connections 2014 music festival in Glasgow. It included classics such as ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’ and ‘Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag’, and modern compositions like ‘And the band played Waltzing Matilda’ by Scots-born singer Eric Bogle.

“Far Far from Ypres” is a production which uses music from the period and more recent compositions to underpin the story of one Scottish serviceman who goes off to fight on the Western Front. Conceived and directed by Scottish folk singer Ian McCalman, this concert was a collaborative effort by a large number of Scottish musicians. The programme includes narration, poetry and a visual presentation of photos and images relevant to the themes.

A separate Schools performance of the show attracted around 1200 pupils and teachers to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, and provided a highly-engaging experience for the young people. Thank you to all the artists and professionals that made this possible.

Mr McCalman is keen for Scottish schools to consider staging their own versions of this production, which can be adapted to include elements which have a strong local resonance such as additional Gaelic material or poems by a local writer. Any Scottish teacher who is interested in this opportunity should contact him by email at ypresconcert@hotmail.com

The soundtrack of an earlier form of “Far Far from Ypres” is also available on CD from online suppliers, and would help teachers grasp the range and creativity of the approach.