Poem ~ French Concert for the Tommy - Tuesday, 23 December 1914

Source: File: Xavier Leroux.jpg. Xavier Leroux Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: < ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Leroux> Accessed: 23 December 2014]. 

Source: File: Xavier Meyriane Héglon.jpg. FORGOTTEN OPERA SINGERS - Meyriane Héglon (Mezzo-Soprano) (Brussels 1867 – Brussels 1942). [online] Available at: <http://forgottenoperasingers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/meyriane-heglon-mezzo-soprano-brussels.html> Accessed: 23 December 2014]. 

Picture many British Tommies.

Variously dressed, many in slippers -

Others limping who, despite injuries,

Are cheerily convalescing in Paris.

These British boys converge,

From their hospitals onto Rue Jouffroy -

Their aim the British Church House.

The soldiers cheeriness comes from

A Miss de Lara’s special invitation,

To attend her concert – so the men

Enter into a full hall to mix freely,

With colony of British invitees,

And many others of Parisian society

On a programme of opera stars,

Much varied singing was provided -

As in the married composer

And singers, Meisuer Xavier Leroux

And wife,  madame Heglon Leroux -

Madame Chenal of Opera,

Who sang ‘Marseillaise’ held aloft

A tri-colour standard to create

A captivating performance.

Another voice of M. Kienzi

Held the audience, by singing

‘Brabanconne’  - then to cap

It all, a British Tommy stood

To thrill their French hosts with

‘It’s a long way to Tipperary.’

In a finale, the British soldiers

Sang out, ‘God save the King’

With the French joining in.

An outcome of the concert

For injured Tommy’s was to raise

Money, for Christmas presents -

These would be sent out to French

And British Troops across the front.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. ‘Tipperary’ in Paris. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 23 Dec. p.7. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11308191/Daily-Telegraph-December-23-1914.html [Accessed: 23 December 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 23 December 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11308191/Daily-Telegraph-December-23-1914.html

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