PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES CONCERT RAISES OVER £8,000 FOR ROYAL BRITISH LEGION’S POPPY APPEAL

In October, Leicester’s Curve theatre hosted Pack Up Your Troubles the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire’s Concert to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. The sold out concert has raised over £8,000 for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.

Pack Up Your Troubles was presented by Applause, nonprofit making company which raises money for local charities, in conjunction with Curve and BBC Radio Leicester.

Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire Jennifer, Lady Gretton, JP commented:

 “We’re delighted by this fantastic amount raised for Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal in this centenary year. I would like to thank everyone who came to see the concert, Applause and BBC Radio Leicester for organising the evening, Curve theatre for providing us with the perfect venue and all our special guests who performed on the night. It couldn’t have been a better evening and I still have people telling me how wonderful it was.”

Pack Up Your Troubles followed the stories from Leicester and Leicestershire during 1914 – 18, recalled through the music, songs, poetry, photography and art of the era.

Local choirs, performers and dancers joined presenters from BBC Radio Leicester for a night of nostalgia with music from Gustav Holst to Irving Berlin; Jerusalem to Tipperary; Edward Elgar to Marie Lloyd.

Performers on the night included The Simpletones, The Enderby Brass Band, Curve Young Company, Tenor David Morris, Soprano Jenny Saunders and Leicester performer Elaine Pantling.

The evening was further enhanced by the presence of Royal British Legion Standards Guard of Honour and the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Army Cadets.

Audio recordings from the BBC Radio Leicester archives and over 100 images from the Leicestershire Records Office in Wigston also retold the extraordinary and personal accounts from local people who fought and lived through WW1, both in the trenches and at home.