Peter Rothstein’s musical All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 details the real-life truce between Germany and the Allies, which occurred on Christmas day during World War I, resulting in a single night of camaraderie, music, and peace before both sides returned to fighting and killing each other in the morning.
For a few hours, the soldiers on each side of the battlefield engaged in an informal truce. They traded items–chocolate, tobacco, puddings, rum–and showed pictures of their families. Many of the Germans knew how to speak English which made the brief friendly exchange possible. And they sang songs together.
The masked and vaccine-checked audience Diane and I were with loved the variety of songs and commentary (from letters, diaries, journals, Official War Documents, speeches, epitaphs, and memoirs). But, anyone with a knowledge of History realizes what the end result of this magic moment will be. GRADE: A
MUSICAL NUMBERS:
PROLOGUE
Will ye go to Flanders? Scottish Folk Song, arr. Erick Lichte
THE OPTIMISTIC DEPARTURE
Come on and Join (Alexander’s Ragtime Band) Irving Berlin
God Save the King English Traditional
Good-By-Ee R.P. Weston and Bert Lee
It’s a Long Way to Tipperary Jack Judge and Harry Williams
Les Godillots Paul Briollet and Eugene Rimbault, based on Traditional French song
THE GRIM REALITY
Pack Up Your Troubles George Henry and Felix Powell
The Old Barbed Wire English Traditional
I Want to Go Home Lieut. Gitz Rice
Deutschlandlied Franz Joseph Haydn
Keep the Home-Fires Burning Ivor Novello
O Come, O Come Emmanuel 12th c. plainchant
CHRISTMAS
Christmas in the Camp Harrington and Scott
We Wish You a Merry Christmas English Traditional Carol
Die Wacht am Rhein Karl Wilhelm
Christmas Day in the Cookhouse Traditional English
O Tannenbaum German Carol, arr. Timothy C. Takach
THE TRUCE
Silent Night Franz Gruber, arr. Erick Lichte
Angels We Have Heard on High French Traditional
Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella French Carol
In Dulci Jubilo German Carol
Wassail Erick Lichte, based on traditional texts
Minuit chrétiens (O Holy Night) Adolph Adam, harm. Erick Lichte
Will Ye Go to Flanders? (Reprise) Scottish Folksong, arr. Erick Lichte
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen German Traditional Carol
Wie schön leuchtet derMorgenstern Philip Nicolai, arr. Erick Lichte
Good King Wenceslas Piae Cantionis
THE RETURN TO BATTLE
Auld Lang Syne Scottish Folk Tune, arr. Timothy C. Takach
EPILOGUE
The Last Post English Bugle Call
Silent Night (Reprise) Franz Gruber, arr. Erick Lichte
Those were horrible days, even if they had one quiet night.
I still remember a picture of students very happily entering a railway car to get to the Alsatian front in summer 1914 – explaining that they’ll soon be back after demolishing those stupid Frenchmen.
Of the around 2000 students 90% were happy with the war and eager to fight – but one third of them didn’t return.
For me that’s the greatest result of the European Union that we didn’t have any more wars at least in Central Europe after 1945 while through the last centuries there was at least one war every generation. As soon as they had enough young ones the rulers were ready to send them to fight again …
Wolf, millions of young men died in the fighting from 1914 to 1918. What was supposed to be “The War to End All Wars,” the seeds were sown for World War II. Now, with Russia massing troops on the board with Ukraine, we may be heading down that dangerous path…again.
Interesting premise. Of course we’ve heard of the Christmas Truce but I didn’t know they made a musical about it. The War To End All Wars was one of the worst, most wasteful, futile wars ever, a war nobody wanted but know one could stop. It wiped out a whole generation of young men and made the next war inevitable.
Jeff, war technology–planes, tanks, poison gas, etc.–slaughtered millions during World War I. What a senseless war!
It suddenly seems that everything imaginable is being made into a play. What’s up with that?
Michael, I think the success of HAMILTON, showing that History is indeed of interest to audiences who will pay to see/hear it, created a market for musicals based on historical events like this one. I thought the performance was well done. I knew a few of the songs they sang, but many were new to me.
Sounds like a great idea-especially while there is audience that has some familiarity with the music.
Patti, Diane and I took Diane’s friend, Johanna, with us to see ALL IS CALM. Johanna speaks German and understood the lyrics of the German songs sung by the German troops in ALL IS CALM. She said the German singers did a great job in proper pronunciation.
There was a book written about the truce, during which, during daylight hours, some of the English and German soldiers played soccer. The book was mentioned in Christmas By the Book by Marie Ryan which I recently read.
Rick, you’re right. There’s a brief scene in ALL IS CALM where the Allied soldiers and the German soldiers kick a ball around. The Allies won the game 3-2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJi41RWaTCs
A poignant reminder that on all sides there are dreams and hopes, talent and potential, loved ones and family.
Phil Ochs may have said it best: “It’s always the old to lead us to a war/It’s always the young to fall/Now look at all we’ve won/With the saber and the gun/Tell me if it’s worth it all.” (Some wars are sadly necessary. Hitler was a gangrenous blister on the butt of mankind, for example. but in the main sacrificing a generation makes no sense.)
I used to view The War To End All Wars as The Stupidity To Outstupid All Stupidities but that was before the current shitstorm of Stupidity we have been enduring recently.
Jerry, well said! Stupidity in all forms is toxic and results in calamity!
There is a PBS version of this — I found it on a DC station on Christmas Eve, so I’ll see it then.
Jeff, I think you’ll enjoy ALL IS CALM.