On Christmas 1914 the guns fell silent on the Western Front and for one brief, incredible moment the spirit and glory of Christmas shone across the battlefields of Flanders, touching the hearts of mortal enemies. Dirty, tired, war weary soldiers from both sides climbed from their trenches to enter no-man’s-land and to meet one another, to share chocolate, to tell stories, even to play a game of football.
Our show Happy Christmas Tommy – The Christmas Miracle of 1914 is based on that extraordinary Christmas of 1914. Two days when the reality and futility of war were never so relevant.
As Christmas Eve drew nearer, there was a strangeness in the air. Much of the shooting stopped. There was much good-natured shouting to and fro across the lines, so much so that the Generals on both sides issued directives forbidding fraternisation. They were ignored. Slowly songs and Christmas carols began to drift across no mans land.
No one side began this miraculous event. Suddenly and spontaneously along the Western Front, troops began to arrange meetings with one another in no-man’s-land for Christmas day. Shouted greetings and even jokes merged with songs and Christmas carols.
Gradually with the light failing, silhouettes could be made out. Men from both sides were abandoning their posts and meeting their enemies face to face. Sweets and cigarettes were shared.
It is a story every child should take part in, an to do so and hear to of the songs from the show please go to http://educationalmusicals.com/happy-christmas-tommy/