100 Years On - In Remembrance, Crosscrake Church

The concert by Kendal Choral Society was a very moving occasion. The choir, conducted by Alan Gardner, sang the beautiful Requiem by Philip Ledger, accompanied by organist Mike Crichlow, with two local soloists, Laura Wilson and Ken Wilkins. After the interval the audience heard excerpts, read by three readers, from letters, poems and diaries 'from the front.' We heard about local connections, such as Howard Somervell and Dr Arthur Wakefield and Sedgwick man Nelson Willacy, whose 12 year old brother wrote him a moving and amusing letter about life in the village in 1916 (It was never received as Nelson was killed on the Somme). Horrors of the trenches appeared on a screen as local policeman, David Hendley, played the Last Post and the audience rose to its feet in memory of all those from Crosscrake and district who lost their lives in the terrible days of 100 years ago. It was a memorable evening and thanks to generous donations, a small grant from Last Post and matched funding from Barclays, £1,140 was sent towards work of the RBL in Cumbria.

Rob Cowley