Siegfried Sassoon

​ ⁨@PeacocksTaleMusic⁩  Wandering around the churchyard of Mells (an idyllic Somerset village near Frome) we found the grave of the great First World War poet Siegfried Sassoon so in the presence of such integrity, I ransacked my memory for this, a war poem I remember being printed incorrectly in our O level history book and corrected in an addendum. The General Good morning, good morning the General said When we met him last week on our way to the Line. Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of the dead And we're crying his staff for incompetent swine. He;s a cheery old card, grunted Harry to Jack As we trudged up to Arras with rifle and pack. But he did for them both with his plan of attack. The video and stills from Mells church are framed by the beautiful Stations of the Cross carvings at Frome St John's and the music (our homage to Edith Cavell) opens out into a general meditation on the First World War.

The Death of Edith Cavell music video by Peacock's Tale

There was a film of this story on TV in my very early childhood and it really stuck because it was the first I saw that didn't end happily. (Most war films then had been very upbeat in their emphasis - or else I had been sent to bed if they weren't). I researched it many years later for my Poppyland 'Doin Different' book of new folk ballads (and use the excellent illustrated pages in this video, complete with the tune we worked out) and now believe Edith's story goes beyond sad/happy into a triumph of humanity. (Though my 8 year old self will always wish she got away in the final reel)

From our EP https://peacocks-tale.bandcamp.com/album/four-points-of-departure