大象传媒

During World War One millions of men left their families to fight for King and country. Never sure when, or even if, they would return, their wives and children waited for any news. Imagine receiving that letter 鈥� not the one that says how much they love you and that they hope to be home soon, but the letter from the Padre who had been looking after your husband, telling you that he has been shot and has died from his wounds. The letter states that his funeral will be in the coming days.

That is the back story of 鈥淟ast December鈥�, a love song written and performed by Bristol singer/songwriter Daisy Chapman. Daisy was given the letters sent to Elizabeth 鈥淟izzy鈥� Brain who was waiting in her Bishopsworth home for any news of her husband James, who was fighting on the Western Front. The letters go into great detail about James鈥� death, even giving times of death and funeral 鈥� and marking that the Union Jack was draped across the coffin. The story continues with Lizzy herself dying just months later of what the family called 鈥渁 broken heart鈥�.

These letters were kindly given to the 大象传媒 by the Collis family from Bristol, and were then handed to Daisy who has turned the story into a beautiful love song. Taken from Lizzy鈥檚 perspective; Daisy writes, sings and plays the piano on the track with Sue Lord providing the haunting strings; the track was recorded at the 大象传媒 Bristol studios.

Daisy said: 鈥淲hen 大象传媒 Radio Bristol asked me to write a song based on letters received from France in WW1, it didn't take me long to realise what a big job it was. I really needed to do justice to the letters and particularly to Lizzy whose perspective the song is written from. I started off by reading up on WW1 history and what life was like in the trenches where her husband was, but then quickly had to forget the detail remembering that Lizzie would have been home in Bristol with little to no information on what was happening out there, other than a few letters. Sometimes the best research you can do is over-researching, and then putting that information aside! I imagined her gazing out of her window to the east to try and pick up a sense of what her loved one was doing. And I hope that came across in the lyrics. It really has been a very special project, and I'm particularly honoured to have been singled out to take part.鈥�

The impact of these letters on Lizzy would鈥檝e been a torture for her. Waiting to hear of her husband鈥檚 plight only to find out from a stranger that he won鈥檛 be returning, and as Daisy sings in the song 鈥溾�� He told me it was ten past three, when you left your love 鈥� your bride. Your coffin wrapped in the Union Jack, I鈥檒l see you on the other side鈥�.

Location: Bishopsworth Road, Bristol BS13
Image shows James and Elizabeth Brain, the last photo taken of them together before James went off to war
Song presented by Daisy Chapman

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