HMS Unicorn’s IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Funded project completes
Launched in 1824, HMS Unicorn is celebrating its 200th anniversary year. On June 8 2024, Unicorn premiered a new musical work to commemorate and celebrate Unicorn’s role as a training ship in the First World War.
You can watch a recording of the Sunday 9 June 2024 performance a the Laidlaw Music Centre, St Andrews, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChL7Hv6uqIk
You can watch a short clip about the project here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSLyongudw4
And, you can download the concert programme and notes here
“When the brazen bands shall play” is a new musical work for brass quintet, brass band and narrator. The Unicorn Preservation Society commissioned composer Michael Betteridge to create a piece of music utilising the very same instruments in Unicorn’s collection, restored for the project, that were used by bandsmen in the First World War, from which some did not return.
The musical work is part of the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund, a national partnership programme of over 20 artist commissions inspired by the heritage of conflict. Led by Imperial War Museums, the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund was created following the success of 14-18 NOW, the official UK arts programme for the First World War centenary. At the outbreak of the war in 1914, many of HMS Unicorn’s enlisted recruits were drafted straight to sea service. However, there were many more reservists than ships, so 156 of HMS Unicorn’s officers and ratings were instead sent to the trenches at the defence of Antwerp as infantry, part of the “Royal Naval Division”. They then went on to fight at Gallipoli, in the Balkans, and on the Western Front. Some of these men were bandsmen in Unicorn’s own silver band, who found themselves in the Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division and sent to Belgium, where they became involved in the Siege of Antwerp (August – September 1914).
During the retreat from Antwerp, the band’s instruments had to be abandoned and were hidden in a cellar. After the war, they were rediscovered and returned to HMS Unicorn and remain in our collection. Some of these instruments have been repaired and were played as part of this performance.
The World Premiere of “When the brazen bands shall play” took place in Dundee at Discovery Point on Saturday 8th June 2024, followed by a pipe band procession to HMS Unicorn. A second performance took place on Sunday 9th June at the Laidlaw Music Centre, University of St Andrews, performed by Kingdom Brass.
Partnering with musical groups across Scotland including Dundee Instrumental Band, The Wallace Collection, Kingdom Brass, The University of St Andrews Music Centre, and Dundee City Pipe Band, the Unicorn Preservation Society was excited to premiere this eight movement piece by one of the UK’s leading composers. The piece was performed alongside projected archive footage and images from Imperial War Museum’s and HMS Unicorn’s own archives. Internationally renowned brass ensemble The Wallace Collection performed on the over 100-year-old instruments that were saved from a basement in Antwerp, with the finale performed by Dundee Instrumental Brass. The instruments are all from the very early 20th century and manufactured by Besson in London. They have a different sound and a different feel that could be seen as old fashioned but are unique and special to these instruments, requiring a different technique to play than modern instruments.
Some 20 men who trained on Unicorn were killed during the First World War. Their names are listed on our War Memorial. Three of these men were bandsmen and have dedicated movements in the work. They are Andrew Buck, Victor Ferrar and Andrew C Smith, whose stories are integrated into the work. Alongside this performance, composer Michael Betteridge worked with local school children in Dundee and Fife in collaboration with students from The University of St Andrews, supporting them to compose short solo works for solo brass instrument inspired by the sounds of HMS Unicorn.
