I had a good run down from Sweden on Thursday, driving over the bridge to Copenhagen just as the sun was setting. I have put in a lot of kilometres, filled up the tank with gas 5 times and seen 5 accidents.
The first show was last night in the Dranouter Muziekcentrum in west Flanders. I played my new song about Fred Broadrick, the soldier who was shot by firing squad in 1917. It seems from his biography that he was condemned, not for cowardice but because he just didn’t like taking orders. The first time the army locked him up was for using obscene language to a non comissioned officer. He took part in several attacks and was reckoned to be a brave and willing soldier but after many run ins with authority he finally deserted his billet, was caught and shot.
They liked my song and it will be performed by the music students at a special concert. I will have to get round to recording it, but for now I will play the song on tour on my ‘new’ mandolin which is exactly 100 years old, made in spring 1915. The song is called ‘The Unknown Soldier Has A Name’.
Fred is buried in the little military cemetery behind the Muziekcentrum. This morning I found his grave.