The Lost Village of Imber was composed by Christopher Bond to celebrate the 160th Anniversary of Bratton Silver Band based in Wiltshire, UK. The piece was premiered at the RNCM Brass Festival in January 2020 by The Cory Band. This live recording was made in February 2020 when it was performed in front of the people of Bratton at the Wiltshire Music Centre.
The project was made possible through awards from Arts Council England, National Lottery Project Grants Fund and Norman Jones Trust Fund, and through the support of Brass Band England and Friends of St Giles Church, Imber.
ABOUT THE COMPOSITION
The village of Imber on Salisbury Plain had been inhabited for over one thousand years when it was evacuated in 1943 to make way for military training in the Second World War. At the time, with preparations for the Allied invasion of Europe underway, most villagers put up no resistance, despite being upset, with the belief that they’d return once the war had concluded. To this day, Imber and its surrounding land remain a military training ground. The villagers never returned, and just the shell of what was once a community remains.
Structured in three movements, it is on this very real story that the work is based, setting out the series of events of 1943 in chronological order.
1 - On Imber Downe
The first movement portrays a sense of jollity and cohesiveness – a community of individuals living and working together before news of the evacuation had broken. Sounds of the village are heard throughout, not least in a series of percussive effects – the anvil of the blacksmith; the cowbell of the cattle and the bells of the church.
2 - The Church of St Giles - 3:40
The second movement begins mysteriously and this sonorous, atmospheric opening depicts Imber in its desolate state and the apprehension of residents as they learn they have to leave their homes. Amidst this is the Church of St Giles, a symbol of hope for villagers who one day wish to return, portrayed with a sweeping melodic passage before the music returns to the apprehension of villagers facing eviction around their sadness at losing their rural way of life.
3 - Imemerie Aeternum 8:49
In complete contrast, the third movement portrays the arrival of the military, complete with the sounds of the ammunition, firing and tanks – sounds which were all too familiar to those living in the surround areas. To close, the Church of St Giles theme returns in a triumphant style, representing the idea that the church has always been, even to this day, a beacon of hope for the villagers and local community – both the centrepiece and pinnacle of a very real story.
The work has been commissioned by Bratton Silver Band in celebration of the band’s 160th Anniversary, with funding from the Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants Fund and the Brass Bands England Norman Jones Trust Fund.
Images sourced and supplied by Maria Cricket (Bratton Silver Band), video production by Ali Woodman (The Cory Band).
https://coryband.com
https://www.christopherbondmusic.co.uk
