This November, a special collaboration between the Military Wives Choirs and Westminster City Council will commemorate the centenary of one the most poignant stories of World War One: the burial of the Unknown Warrior.
On 11th November there is a service hosted by DCMS / RBL and Westminster Abbey. It’s a recreation of the burial 100 years ago so will include Abide With Me being sung by the Abbey Choir. This is being broadcast live on TV, thoughthe usual Armistice Day commemorations at Whitehall are not happening this year due to COVID.
The Song
To commemorate the centenary of the journey, members of the Military Wives Choirs from across the country have recorded a new version of a song originally sung at the funeral 100 years ago. ‘Abide with Me’ was one of two tracks that survived experimental recording at the ceremony to become the first electrical recording ever sold to the public.
Military Wives Choirs
The guests of honour at the ceremony one hundred years ago, over and above any Government and military officials, were a group of about one hundred women. They had been chosen because they had each lost their husband and all their sons to the war. “Every woman so bereft who applied for a place got it”.
It is therefore fitting that Military Wives Choirs were chosen to record this special 100th anniversary version of ‘Abide With Me’. With 73 choirs and more than 2000 members in British military bases across the UK and overseas, the Military Wives Choirs is a charity that brings all women in the military community, not just wives, closer together and empowers them through singing.
The Recording
Conceived before the impact of COVID-19 had hit, and then created and recorded during lockdown, the production of the track became a journey in itself – showing the power of music to bring people together during difficult times. Conducted by Hilary Davan Wetton and produced by Sean Hargreaves, and featuring a trumpeter from the Band of the Scots Guards.
The Story of the Unknown Warrior
100 years ago, as the nameless soldier was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey, ‘Abide with Me’ rang out – and a nation came together. This special re-recording of the hymn aims to retell the story of the Unknown Warrior and, once again, unite a nation
Of the 1 million British and Commonwealth servicemen and women killed in World War One, some 165,000 would never receive a proper burial. Many were left in unmarked graves on the battlefields where they fell. Some were simply never found.
This tragic loss of life and the ongoing suffering of families with no place to mourn led to an idea. An idea that in 1920 saw one of the fallen – rank, regiment, service all unknown – returned from the battlefields of Europe and buried in Westminster Abbey with all the honour a war and flu-ravaged country could muster.
Here is an emotive and powerful music video to accompany the song, which succinctly tells the story of the Unknown Warrior https://vimeo.com/467783793/bf31287250
There will also be a short documentary video about the story of the Unknown Warrior, told by members of the Military Wives Choirs available very shortly.
The Military Wives Choirs’ recording of Abide With Me will be formally released on November 6th
Here is the music link and also a short video of footage shot 100 years ago…and today.
Since lockdown measures were introduced to cope with the coronavirus outbreak, there has been a stark rise in domestic abuse, with the National Domestic Abuse helpline reporting an 80% increase in calls in June. Fran Hipperson, family partner at B P Collins, advises on what victims can do to protect themselves and their children.
Domestic abuse isn’t always physical violence. It can also encompass a pattern of controlling, threatening and coercive behaviour. This behaviour can be emotional, economic, psychological or sexual. Perpetrators of domestic abuse often use coercive and controlling behaviour to seek to isolate their victims from friends and family and to remove any support network they have.? Lockdown has made it much easier for them to do this.
If you’re experiencing domestic abuse, there are various orders which can be made to help you, although applications are likely to be dealt with remotely through telephone or Skype hearings rather than at court. For example, it is possible for the court to make an order regulating the use of the family home, such as who can use the kitchen at a particular time.
The court also has the power to exclude the perpetrator of domestic abuse from the family home entirely (an occupation order) and to grant an injunction to prevent abusive behaviour (a non-molestation order). Breach of a non-molestation order is a criminal offence and as such will act as a deterrent for some.
Refuges also remain open, and the police will provide support to all those who are being abused – whether physically, emotionally, or otherwise.
If you’re experiencing abuse, you can also call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free on 0808?2000?247 and anyone in danger should call 999.
If your friend or family member is a victim of domestic abuse, you could provide information on organisations that offer help to victims and their children and explore available options with them. You can also help them to report an assault to the police if they choose to do so and you could go with them
All Ages, All Races, All Sexes… A professional makeup brand setting trends backstage at fashion weeks around the world. Today, M·A·C means so many things to its millions of fans in every corner of the planet, but a global beauty phenomenon has to begin somewhere.
Make-Up Art Cosmetics started life in Toronto, Canada. Makeup artist and photographer Frank Toskan and salon owner Frank Angelo became frustrated by the lack of makeup that photographed well, so they decided to create their own. At first, they made the cosmetics in their kitchen and sold them straight from the salon to fellow makeup artists, as well as models and photographers. Soon, stylists and fashion editors got in on the action. As the magazine credits racked up and word-of-mouth popularity grew, the duo launched M·A·C in March 1984 from a counter in a Toronto department store.
Their approach was chic utility, with the makeup coming in black pots rather than compacts. While other major makeup brands at the time were predominantly skincare companies, M·A·C chose instead to establish itself as the ultimate colour authority. Professional makeup artists manned the counter, an industry first. One of the most popular offerings was an intense matte red lipstick, which got a boost with an appearance in a photo-shoot of the fast-rising Madonna.
The company took the industry by storm, offering a wide range of products that blended street savvy with glamorous style and panache. Behind the counter, the M·A·C approach was notably different. Rather than driving sales through traditional promotional techniques, M·A·C relied on the integrity of its carefully formulated product line. Adding to the image was a touch of outrageousness. A company that honours individuality and self-expression above all else, it brought a brilliant sense of drag and theatre into the sleek M·A·C stores and department store counters.
M·A·C is sold today in over 105 countries around the world. It remains committed to developing new categories, products and over 50 collections each year, all of which continue to serve the demand of consumers and professional makeup artists alike.
Collaborations with adored names from popular culture, art and fashion have included such names as Rihanna, Lorde, Proenza Schouler, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Brooke Shields. These continue to enhance M·A·C’s relevance and reach to existing fans as well as new ones, while our makeup Artists’ rock-steady presence backstage at over 200 fashion week shows around the world, working with names from Prabal Gurung to Vivienne Westwood, secures the envied status of M·A·C as the world’s leading beauty trendsetter.
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July 12, 2026 100 BC Julius Caesar 1854 George Eastman 1895 Oscar Hammerstein II 1927 Frank Windsor 1928 Kathy Staff 1935 Roy Barraclough 1937 Bill Cosby 1943 Christine McVie 1947 Gareth Edwards
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