Dawn Morrison
Opera performers will bring the nation’s mood during the outbreak of World War I to life with a performance featuring songs, letters and poems.
The Gordon Highlanders Museum has teamed up with the Aberdeen Opera Company for two productions of Mobilise! on Monday – the same day Britain declared war on Germany in 1914.
It is one of a series of events being held at the Aberdeen museum to commemorate the centenary, thanks to funding from Museums Galleries Scotland.
Education and outreach officer Tess McLean said: “We hope that the museum will become a hub to commemorate the outbreak of World War I.
“Perhaps visitors will come here to remember Gordon Highlanders in the their own family.
“In the evening, the museum will put on something completely different – an intimate opera performance which will see performers reading poems by Wilfred Owen and the Gordon Highlanders’ own work. They will also give a narrative of the events.
“We’ve called the events Mobilise! to remember the outbreak of the war. People were excited about going in to the conflict – they thought they would be home by Christmas.
“It was only when they got to the front line that the full impact of what was happening began to take effect.”
Free day-time events include The Great War Boys Living History group, which will see the team teach visitors about uniforms and weaponry and the conditions soldiers faced in the trenches.
Curator Jesper Ericsson will introduce the museum’s new exhibition Shattered Hopes: The Gordon Highlanders in 1914, exploring the artefacts on display and discussing the motivation behind the exhibition.
The Gordon Highlanders Association Band will perform in the memorial gardens at 1pm and 2pm.
Tickets for the opera show are limited, to book or to view times for the free events visit www.gordonhighlanders.com or phone 01224 498 926.