New EP Release.
Elegy to the War Horse – The Guards’ Chapel Orchestra.
Release Date: 1st June 2018. Pre-Orders available here …
CD Cat No: RIGHT316
Barcode: 5035980116606
Digital Cat No: RIGHT316D
Barcode: 5035980116613
Label: Right Recordings
Distribution: Nova / Universal
4 Track EP
1. ELEGY TO THE WAR HORSE
The Guards’ Chapel Orchestra (5:25)
2. THROUGH THE BARRICADES
The Soldiers (6:16)
3. LIBERATION HYMN
The Treorchy Male Choir & Vernon Hopkins (3:19)
4. ALPHA & OMEGA
The Guards’ Chapel Orchestra (9:33)
SUPPORTING THE WAR HORSE MEMORIAL
Right Recordings is delighted to announce the release of Elegy To The War Horse, composed by Major Craig Hallatt, Director of Music and Officer Commanding The Band Of The Household Cavalry. The piece is performed by The Guards’ Chapel Orchestra. The EP also features tracks by The Soldiers and The Treorchy Male Choir.
This charity EP release marks the unveiling of The War Horse Memorial on Friday 8th June. This will be the first national memorial dedicated exclusively to the millions of British, Allied and Commonwealth horses, mules and donkeys lost during World War I.
The memorial is a larger than life bronze horse created by British sculptor Susan Leyland. It will stand on an inscribed stone plinth, close to Ascot Racecourse, which is supporting the project.
In addition, a collection of significant WW1 artefacts will be placed in an authentic brass shell casing (which was discovered on the Somme), and locked away in the plinth, adding greater poignancy to this wonderful epitaph.
The Memorial has been funded by generous public donations, following an on-going appeal by the Daily Express to raise funds and awareness of the project. Funding has also come from Tony Pidgley CBE, Chairman of the Berkeley Group.
In addition, funding has been secured by the sale of limited edition maquettes, scaled down versions of the bronze horse. A maquette has already been presented to the Prime Minister, and others will be given to Her Majesty The Queen, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and Ascot Racecourse Authority.
Both the memorial statue and the maquettes have been cast at the Black Isle Bronze Foundry in Nairn, Scotland, the only purpose-built bronze casting foundry in the UK.
The Memorial has formed a catalyst for an on-going fundraising campaign to support military and equine charities. Proceeds from the sale of the EP will go towards this. The principal beneficiaries will be The Household Cavalry Foundation and the Mane Chance Sanctuary in Surrey, which was founded by the actress Jenny Seagrove. Other complementary charities will also be supported, including equine charities Brooke and World Horse Welfare.
Nationwide activity to support the project includes:
• A Service of Remembrance at Holy Trinity Church, Windsor, the Garrison Church of the Household Cavalry, on 17th April 2018. There was a blessing of the artefacts chosen to be included in the shell casing that will be placed at the foot of the memorial, and a performance of Elegy To The War Horse by The Guards’ Chapel Orchestra.
• Four special horseshoes, cast at the Black Isle Bronze Foundry, to signify the four countries of the Union. These have been presented to the Lord Mayors of London, and Cardiff and will be presented soon to Belfast and Edinburgh.
• The reintroduction of the Purple Poppy, which was created to remember animal victims of war, but later discarded in the UK. National Purple Poppy Day will launch on 23rd August 2018, and will become an annual event.
• A nationwide competition run by Girlguiding UK to choose a name for the War Horse Memorial Statue. 100 groups of Guides, Brownies and Rainbows took part, and the winning name is Poppy! Girlguiding will continue to support the project, and the winning unit will attend the unveiling of the memorial on 8th June.
Actress Jenny Seagrove, founder of the Mane Chance Sanctuary,
supporter of the project and former BBC Breakfast presenter Chris Hollins,
Major Craig Hallatt & The Guards’ Chapel Orchestra,
Captain Gary Chilton of The Soldiers,
The Treorchy Male Choir and Vernon Hopkins
will all be available for interviews / live sessions.
If you’d like to arrange an interview / live session,
receive review or competition copies of the EP, or have any questions, please contact:
Harriet Lester / Josh Singh – Right Recordings
Tel: 020 8961 3889
Email: harriet@rightrecordings.com / joshua@rightrecordings.com