National Song Competition Winner

Huge congratulations go to Year 10 pupil Lara V who has won a national song-writing competition. “Songs of the Centenary” is part of a four-year programme run by the charity “Never Such Innocence” (NSI), a unique project fitting into the wider series of 2014-2018 World War centenary activities. Lara’s song, “Fighting on my Own” was selected from the many entries received and this week she had the opportunity to perform her piece in the Guard’s Chapel at Wellington Barracks in London.

“Never Such Innocence” takes its name from Philip Larkin’s poem “MCMXIV, which reflects on the changes caused by the First World War. Since 2014 the charity has held roadshows and visited schools all over the country in order to educate young people about the First World War, its impact and legacy, through creative means.

This year saw the third annual poetry and art competition where young people from all over the commonwealth were invited to submit work based on the theme of the Great War. For the first time the charity also ran a “Song of the Centenary” competition.

Lara’s entry came out of a creative school History project about World War One which Lara completed in Year 9. When Head of History, Mrs Tinnelly, heard about the “Songs of Centenary” competition she encouraged Lara to enter. Headmistress, Mrs Ness-Gifford, said “We are incredibly proud of Lara and are thrilled that she has received this honour. The Never Such Innocence project is certainly a wonderful way to engage young people in the history of the First World War and will help to ensure that the events from the Great War, and the sacrifice given by so many, are not forgotten.

Lyrics from Lara’s entry include:

Fighting on my Own
Somebody said go and join the war
My mother had to show me the door
Holding a gun in my hand
Am I strong enough to kill a man
Now the enemy is coming and I have just got to defend myself

{Chorus} I am in the war now fighting for Britain
Too scared to fight now I don’t want to be here
I am giving it my all, am scared that I won’t come home
Fighting this war on my own