In 1917 Cadet John Sidney Smith wrote a piece of music in an autograph book, which was put together at the First Great Eastern Hospital on Trumpington Road. The song will now form part of the choir’s Christmas concert as a tribute to those who died.
Choir Committee Chair, Lizzie Hart said: “It was hard work and we had very little to go on. But after an extensive search of documents at Cambridge University, census records, registers of births, marriages and deaths and local history books our research team finally found John Smith in Stroud in Gloucestershire. It’s fantastic news that we’ve also been able to trace some of his surviving relatives who are now very keen to come to the concert!”
The research shows that John or ‘Jack’ Smith was a well known member of the Stroud community and after the war he was an organist at the local church for 50 years.
Lizzie said “It’s been incredibly exciting for us to trace the journey of this man’s life. From just a few sketchy details and one of the most common English names, we have pieced together his life over a one hundred year time period. The story has stretched from the Western Front, to Cambridgeshire to Gloucestershire, and has finally come full circle: the soldier, the musician and the man has finally been found.”
It’s the hundred year anniversary of the start of the first world war and the choir wanted to mark the occasion by paying tribute to the first Christmas Truce that was reported to have occurred in No Man’s Land in December 1914. Legend has it that the Germans sang ‘Stille Nacht’ across the trenches and the English replied with ‘While Shepherds Watched’. The choir hopes to re-create that poignant exchange and will add other songs that were sung in the trenches at the time.
The special charity concert will raise money for CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people.
Karen Roberts, CLIC Sargent Area Fundraising Manager said ‘We can’t say how thrilled we are to have been able to trace J S Smith and a big thank you to everyone who has been involved. It costs an average of £3750 for CLIC Sargent to support a family and thanks to Hewlett Packard kindly sponsoring this event, all money raised will go to the charity.’
If you would like to attend the concert at Great St Mary’s Church on 15th December at 7.30pm, tickets are available either by emailing karen.roberts@clicsargent.org.uk or telephone 0117 314 8643. Tickets will be available on the night but purchase in advance is advised.
About childhood cancer
Every day 10 children and young people are told they have cancer, and diagnosis usually comes as a shock. Treatment normally starts straightaway and can last up to three years. Although survival rates are over 80%, cancer remains the single largest cause of death from disease in children in the UK.
About CLIC Sargent
CLIC Sargent is the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people. It provides clinical, practical and emotional support for young cancer patients and their families, from diagnosis onwards. For more information visit www.clicsargent.org.uk
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For more information about this fundraising event please contact Karen Roberts on 07879 413126 or email karen.roberts@clicsargent.org.uk
For more information about CLIC Sargent and its services please contact the media team on 020 8752 2812 or email mediarelations@clicsargent.org.uk Outside office hours please call 08448 481189.
For further information on CUH archives department , please contact: louise.gosling@addenbrookes.nhs.uk tel: 01223 586 730
Communications Department, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ
Tel: 01223 274433 Email: press@addenbrookes.nhs.uk
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History comes full circle, thanks to the Addenbrooke’s choir detectives!
19 November 2014
The Addenbrooke’s Hospital Choir has tracked down the relative of a World War One soldier who is responsible for part of their annual Christmas Carol Concert this year.