Edmund Blunden in Ypres - 25 December, 1916

from Undertones of War, page 152:

[Colonel] Harrison's Christmas was appreciated more by his followers perhaps than by himself. He held a Church Parade and, while officiating, reading a Lesson or so, was interrupted by the Band, which somehow mistook its cue. The Colonel is thought to have said, "Hold your b--- noise" on this contretemps, which did not dampen the ardour of the congregation, especially the back part of the room, as they thundered out "While Shepherds Watched."
cite as

Edmund Blunden, Undertones of War (Harmondsworth, 1982), p. 152. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1395333223332 accessed: 8 October, 2024

location of experience: Ypres

Listeners

Edmund Blunden
university teacher, Poet
1896-1974

Listening to

hide composers
While shepherds watched their flocks by night

Experience Information

Date/Time 25 December, 1916
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, indoors

Originally submitted by hgb3 on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 16:33:43 +0000