ARMISTICE WW1 CANTATA launch
 
At Chapter Arts Centre, Market Rd, Canton CF5 1QE
Friday November 10th from 9.15am to 12.00noon
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One hundred years ago on November 10 1917, the third battle of Ypres ended in a small Belgium village called Passchendaele and on Friday morning, November 10 2017 a unique new play commemorating the end of WW1, written by children from Thornhill Primary School, Heol Hir, Cardiff called Armistice Cantata will be premiered at Chapter Art Centre in Canton, Cardiff.
 
On the same morning pupils from Rhydypennau Primary School with older people from the near-bye Goldies session at Rhydypennau Library will perform a new medley of WW1 songs.
 
The original idea for Armistice Cantata came from West Country musician and charity founder Grenville Jones who lives in Bath.
 
Mr Jones started the Golden-Oldies charity back in 2007 with fun daytime singing sessions for older isolated people in sheltered community rooms. He took the first sessions himself and now, ten years on, there are almost 200 across Wales and England, with 50 leaders and many supportive volunteers. Thousands attend the one hour sessions.
 
Sir Cliff Richard became patron in 2012. He says;
 
“Golden-Oldies has made quite remarkable progress, brightening so many lives.”
 
Grenville is a respected UK choir leader but is always anxious to point out that Goldies, as it has become known, is NOT about choir singing but instead is based on the popular memory-evoking songs of the 60’s and onwards. The charity has won many wellbeing awards for its simple “songs and smiles” formula that gives people a reason to get out and make new friends.
 
“ I saw the joy and friendships at my choirs and wanted to try to grab that atmosphere of fun and take it to older people who lived lonely lives and had very little to look forward to,” he says.
 
Back in 2010 he started an intergenerational programme with his charity, encouraging schools to open their doors to older people in their communities. Hundreds have taken part and, in 2014 he introduced a project supported by Heritage Lottery based on the commemoration of the First World War.
 
“I believe it is so important for our young children to understand the sacrifice that was given then and, as a musician, to keep alive the popular tunes and words of 100 years ago,” he says.
 
 
Mr Jones also has personal reasons for his dedication to the memories of WW1 as his grandfather William Henry Jones lost his life, aged 24 in the early days of the Battle of the Somme.
 
Armistice Cantata was written by children at Thornhill Primary School Cardiff. Liz Berry is deputy head, she explains:
 
“Our school has really embraced the Goldies charity and we have seen the huge benefits that come when out older people visit school to meet and enjoy the WW1 projects and sing the Goldies songs.
 
“When Grenville approached us we were delighted to be asked and our brilliant Year 4 and 5 children, led by Thornhills inspired music teacher Claire Holcombe have written the song words which are adapted to melodies of 100 years ago. I cannot emphasise enough how proud we are of them all and we are nervously looking forward to performing the 30 minute play of words and music at Chapter Arts in Cardiff on Friday morning November 10th for the first time in front of an invited audience.”
 
The Thornhill pupils worked on the project for 6 months and research included a visit to the Glamorgan Archives Museum to see WW1 memorabilia and letters and learn more about the men from South Wales who went to war.
 
There are 7 songs and groups of children composed the lyrics for each and, together with older people who attend near bye Goldies singing sessions, they then worked on the narration script and the images that form the backdrop to the 30 minute production.
 
Professional guidance also came from Goldies Cymru supporters Emyr Wynne Jones and Alwyn Humphreys whose expertise and musicianship then helped to create the final score and script.
 
Armistice Cantata will be offered to all UK primary schools in English and Welsh from January through the new Goldies WW1 website which also launches of November 10.
 
                                                                  www.ourmemories.org.uk
 
This website will also feature masses of other ideas for primary schools as well as information on WW1 commemorations, song medleys, project guidance notes and much more.
 
“We hope that hundreds of schools and older people will take part in the weeks and months leading up to November 2018 and the Armistice commemoration,” said Grenville Jones.
 
The WW1 programme is supported by Heritage Lottery Fund Wales, The Santander Foundation and the Moondance Foundation, Cardiff.
 
Ends
Your contacts ..
Grenville Jones, Goldies founder on mobile 0777 828 2934
Liz Berry, Deputy Headteacher, Thornhill Primary School (029) 20 751302

​PRESS RELEASE

​A charity that started in Bath 10 years ago today (November 9th) launched its new intergenerational programme for primary schools commemorating the final years of the First World War and the Armistice on November 11 1918.
 
A new supporting website www.ourmemories.org.uk has gone live this week. The programme is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund South West, the Garfield Weston Foundation and The Royal British Legion.
 
Bath based musician Grenville Jones started the Golden-Oldies charity in November 2007. His experience as a choir leader had shown how singing in a group made a huge social difference to people’s lives. Always quick to emphasise that “Goldies,” as it is more fondly known, is NOT about choir singing, the charity has made remarkable progress in the past 10 years.
 
“I saw the joy and friendships at my choirs and wanted to grab that atmosphere of fun and take it to older people who are isolated and who have little to look forward to.”
 
Grenville took the first four Goldies daytime sessions himself in and around Bath in sheltered housing community rooms, based on the memory-evoking songs of the 60s and onwards.
 
Now, 10 years later, there are 50 freelance session leaders, an army of volunteers and 100 sessions across Southern England, Yorkshire, the Midlands and Essex. In South Wales as Goldies Cymru and with the support of the BIG Lottery Wales, there will be an additional 65 sessions by the end of 2017.
 
Back in 2010 in Bath the charity started an intergenerational programme with schools, encouraging them to open their doors to older people in their community. As it developed it was recognised by a number of organisations including Lottery England, Goldies being nominated in the prestigious national UK Lottery awards in their educational category.
 
The most recent programme in 2014 ran across the South West and was based on the first two years of WW1 1914- 1916. Hundreds of schools took part with heritage and memorabilia days, concerts and special events.
 
The new programme encourages primary schools to commemorate the final months of WW1 leading up to November 11 next year and the anniversary of the Armistice.
 
At the launch today children from four Bath & North East Somerset schools were represented. They included Farmborough Primary School, St John’s Catholic Primary School, Welton Primary School and Widcombe Junior School.
 
Supporting the programme is a new website for schools to access
www.ourmemories.org.uk
 
As well as containing a host of guidance notes for teachers on WW1 projects it also includes medleys of songs from 100 years ago for children to learn and sing as part of their commemorations in the months leading up to November 2018.
 
Ian Dewey is chairman of the Golden-Oldies charity. He told a packed St Michaels church.
 
“Grenville’s vision was to give older people a reason to get out and have fun through daytime singing and activity sessions. The school programme extends this with chances for primary schools to invite local people in to join together in memorabilia days and concerts that recognise the significance of the final months of WW1.”
 
ENDS