Ripon Community Poppy Project – A Concert of Remembrance

At this time of the year, our thoughts turn once again to all those soldiers and civilians who have paid the ultimate sacrifice during the many conflicts throughout the years. The Ripon Community Poppy Project Concert of Remembrance is a tribute to these people.

The poppy is the enduring symbol of remembrance of the First World War. It is strongly linked with Armistice Day (11 November), but the poppy’s origin as a popular symbol of remembrance lies in the landscapes of the First World War.

Poppies were a common sight, especially on the Western Front. They flourished in the soil churned up by the fighting and shelling. The flower provided Canadian doctor John McCrae with inspiration for his poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, which he wrote whilst serving in Ypres in 1915.

The poppy has since become the symbol of remembrance and is worn to remember those who have lost their lives at all subsequent conflicts.

The concert will take place on Thursday 9th November 2023 and artists include Ripon City Band, The Dishforth Military Wives Choir and Brackenfield School.