On 1st July we commemorated the Battle of the Somme, 110 years on.

To mark the occasion, there were some very special guests: HRH the Princess Royal, HRH the Duke of Gloucester, and Sir Timothy Lawrence. 

Princess Anne spoke at the Thiepval Memorial about the cost of war and the value of peace: a theme which continued throughout a busy day of commemorations. 

I led the hymns at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, upon which the names of over 72,000 missing men and boys are recorded. 

At the Ulster Tower, the national war memorial of Northern Ireland, I sang two songs: one a capella (above) and one with the Band of the Royal Irish Regiment (below). The 36th Ulster Division fought extremely hard and had many casualties on the first day of the battle. The stories of some of the soldiers were read at the start of the ceremony.

Later in the day, we went to Guillemont, where the 16th Irish Division are commemorated. The Duke of Gloucester was there and laid a wreath. 

It was a gorgeous day: sunny, some breeze, and, most strikingly, birdsong during the silence after each time the Last Post was sounded. It seemed as if nature herself was reminding us of the beauty of peace.