Belgium Tour 2025

Phoenix Singers, family and friends set off from our rehearsal venue, Rowheath Pavilion in April, in a superb double decker coach bound for Belgium. We guessed we were sure of a memorable experience full of friendship and vocal experiences. We were certainly not disappointed.

We stayed in Ieper/Ypres Salient, a major battleground and central location for World War 1 battlefields, memorials, and cemeteries, including the famous Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing.

Our first performance was at Tyne Cot Cemetery where 11,961 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War are buried or commemorated; 8,373 unidentified. The cemetery is located near Passchendaele and is the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery on the Western Front. It also features a Memorial to the Missing commemorating 35,000 soldiers with no known grave. The rain pelted down and disguised our tears as we sang ‘’In Flanders Fields’’ a setting of the famous poem by Canadian surgeon and poet, John McCrae, who enlisted to serve in World War I and tended those injured during the Second Battle of Ypres. It was extremely emotional for us all.

Every evening, since 1927, the Last Post Ceremony has been performed at the Menin Gate to honour the memory of the soldiers of the former British Empire and its allies, who died in the Ypres Salient during the First World War. We were honoured and privileged to perform at the ceremony and lay a wreath on behalf of Phoenix Singers. James had our a cappella singing finely honed to perform ‘’In Flanders Fields’’ and Karl Jenkins’s ‘’Benedictus’’. It was a very moving and poignant experience for us in the shadow of so many brave heroes’ names engraved on the Menin Gate walls, who gave their lives for our today.        

Singing in the truly beautiful Ypres St Martin’s Cathedral in Ypres gave us the chance to enjoy the amazing acoustics and this was followed by our performance of a very special Concert of Remembrance at St George’s Memorial Church which was much appreciated by local residents and visitors to the area.

Chocolate making and a brewery tour along with day trips to Bruges and Lille and a tour dinner followed by talented performances from many tour participants were also fitted into this very special tour.

It was an experience full of joyous and memorable singing and friendships and we look forward to future Phoenix Singers adventures.

Eric Jones 

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