Somme Screening at Royal Festival Hall, BBC Concert Orchestra, London

Marking the anniversary of the end of the Somme battle, the UNESCO-listed 1916 film The Battle of the Somme was screened in front of an audience of over 1,600 at Royal Festival Hall, London on November 18th, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra performing Laura Rossi’s acclaimed score.

This also represented the latest milestone of the Somme100 FILM project, which continues until July 2017 and is coordinating 100 live orchestral performances of the film. Across the UK and beyond, the live screenings have been proving incredibly engaging and moving for audiences, with the many orchestras involved also responding powerfully and finding personal connections to the film.

On the same evening there was also a live screening at Clifton Cathedral, Bristol, whilst across the previous Remembrance Sunday weekend performances took place simultaneously in Berlin, Stockport, Sutton, Leeds, Glasgow, Cardiff, Ealing, Bournemouth, and Worthing. The project was also the subject of much media coverage, including BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show and Radio 3’s In Tune.

Amongst plans for 2017 are tours in south-west France and northern Holland by local orchestras, and youth orchestras in Haringey, Huddersfield, Formby and Suffolk taking on the project. Many of these will be accompanied by linked educational activities, drawing on the free downloadable resources specially created: Sounding The Somme

With 90 live screenings confirmed or already happened, Somme100 FILM is continuing to seek and support more performances by amateur, youth and professional orchestras. Composer Laura Rossi and specialist film historians can be booked to give pre-concert talks about both the film and music.