Leeds band visits Ireland Wood Primary School to perform World War One song

Leeds band Summercross visited Ireland Wood Primary School to help with Year 5’s First World War project by performing and talking about the band’s song, Albion Street.

The song focuses on the small terraced street of the same name in Otley, which lists nine of the town’s fallen from the so-called ‘Great War’.

Greg, Jim and Mary Huby (violin) performed the song to both Year 5 and Year 6 and talked about the words and music, to help the pupils with their own project. The pupils then learnt and joined in the chorus of the song and joined in a question and answer session.

Ian Blackburn, headteacher at Ireland Wood Primary School, said: “To have Summercross sing live for 120 of our children and for them to learn how a great song is conceived and written, was a great experience. I hope it has inspired our budding historians, writers and musicians!”

Jim Caswell, songwriter, guitarist and singer, said: “The story of the men from Albion Street stood out, nine men from the same little terraced street and the fact that this street was called ‘Albion’ - the oldest known name for Great Britain - seemed especially symbolic.

"As a musician, I thought the power of the story should be put to music and I hope the song is a fitting commemoration of these men and it was a pleasure to perform it for the pupils at Ireland Wood”.

Greg Mulholland, singer-songwriter with Summercross said: “We were delighted to help them with the Ireland Wood pupils’ project and hopefully to help inspire them to write their own poems and songs, as well as to keep alive the memory of the fallen and the need to strive for peace”