Remembrance Sunday marked in new ways during lockdown

published on 10 Nov 2020

Despite restrictions stopping many usual Remembrance Day services, Salvationists across the country found opportunities to still pause and remember servicemen and women who gave their lives in war.

At the Cenotaph in London, the Territorial Commander, Commissioner Anthony Cotterill, represented The Salvation Army alongside leaders from other faiths, in paying his respects to the fallen.

Commissioner Cotterill was shown on BBC One’s coverage of the Remembrance Day service, which although more understated than in other years, due to COVID restrictions was an equally moving service.

Many corps remembered the fallen in online services. Sheffield Citadel featured a special recording of their principal cornet player, Adrian Wileman, who played The Last Post and Reveille whilst the congregation was reminded of the significance of this special day.

Sheffield Citadel Salvation Army's 'Remembrance Sunday' worship. (Full section from 42:00, The Last Post from 49:00)

Some corps and Salvationists held socially distanced events in their local community. In Malvern, corps officers Lieutenant Sarah Griffiths and Territorial Envoy Matthew Griffiths held a Remembrance Day service on their own street with around 20 of their neighbours standing together but socially distanced. Watch the service here.

Remembrance Day street service in Malvern — Corps officers Lt Sarah Griffiths and T/E Matthew Griffiths held a socially distanced street service in Malvern.

In other years Coventry City YP Band support the Royal British Legion Remembrance Service in Kenilworth, but unable to do that this year because of Covid restrictions, one of the band’s cornet players, Elijah, played The Last Post and Reveille in his local community. Find out more here.

Elijah Whitmoor playing The Last Post and Reveille — YP Band member Elijah plays The Last Post and Reveille to members of his community in Coventry.

Even though larger services in towns and cities were either curtailed or reduced in size, some Salvation Army band members still played The Last Post and Reveille at cenotaphs around the country.

In Peterborough, Bandsman Nathan Bright played at the city’s cenotaph service which was live-streamed on Peterborough Council’s Facebook page. You can watch the service here.

Bandsman Nathan Bright playing at Peterborough cenotaph — Bandsman Nathan Bright plays The Last Post and Reveille at Peterborough's Remembrance Day service. (Credit: Peterborough City Council)

Corps also found creative ways of remembering those whose lives were lost. Hadleigh Temple Corps constructed an illuminated poppy waterfall featuring over 1,000 poppies knitted by the corps’ ‘Knit ‘N’ Natter’ group. They also attached large poppies to lamp posts around the estate. See the full post here.

Poppy waterfall at Hadleigh Temple — The corps at Hadleigh Temple created a poppy waterfall on their site.

Salvation Army Charity Shops found their own way to mark Remembrance Sunday. In Chorley, the store created its own window display filled with poppies, crosses, and other items to commemorate Remembrance Sunday. See the full post here.

Remembrance Day window dressing at Chorley SA Charity Shop — The Salvation Army's Charity Shop in Chorley put a commemorative window display together.

Despite the current circumstances disrupting usual ways of marking this poignant day, The Salvation Army still found ways of respecting and remembering those whom we have lost.

We will remember them.