D-Day 75

HMDT Music worked with The Royal British Legion to bring a D-Day 75 project to all schools and communities.

Two new songs were commissioned from writer Stephen Plaice and composer Matthew King: ‘D-Day’ and ‘Two Minutes’.

In ‘Two Minutes‘, a soldier asks us to spare two minutes of silence to remember as he looks back in time, from his place in the landing craft and reflects on the storming of the Normandy beaches. By ensuring we remember and try and understand the experiences he and his fellow soldiers went through, we can ensure their lives are not completely lost.

In ‘D-Day‘, children ask ‘what can we do?’ before the invasion, inspired by posters asking them to do their bit, a question echoed by today’s children 75 years on. ‘Remember us’ reply the huge host of contributors to Operation Overlord. The question, memories and response, are all knit together by Gran in the great pattern of Time, enabling us to understand and remember.

TEACHING RESOURCES

1. Teacher’s Introduction

2. Introduction to D-Day (PowerPoint)

3. CODE BREAKING: The Story of Bletchley Park, Cracking the Codes, Gwen Watkins

i. Code Breaking Information

ii. Code Breaking Activities – Literacy + history, science, ICT, maths

4. SUBTERFUGE & SPIES: Operation Fortitude, The French Resistance, Spies, Joan Pujol

i. Subterfuge and Spies Information

ii. Subterfuge and Spies Activities: Literacy + history, drama

5. METEOROLOGY: Operation Neptune, Dr James Stagg

i. Meteorology Information

ii. Meteorology Activities: Literacy, history, science, geography

6. Thank You Letter: Literacy

7. WW2 Vocabulary

8. OVERLORD EMBROIDERY

i. Overlord Embroidery PowerPoint

ii. Overlord Embroidery Activities: Art, history, D&T, PSHE, Geography

9. INVENTIONS AND INNOVATIONS

i. Inventions and Innovations PowerPoint

ii. Inventions and Innovations Activities: Art, history, geography, D&T, science

10. CODES: Maths (not involve KS2/KS3)

SONGS

Introduction

1. D-Day Song

a. Lyrics Power Point

b. Lyrics Sheet

c. Vocal Score

Easier Piano Version

Vocal Only Version

d. MP3 recording

i. Voice & Piano (high voice)

ii. Voice & Piano (low voice)

iii. Piano only

2. Two Minutes