When war broke out in Europe during the summer of 1914, few could have imagined that it would become one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, truly earning its name, “The Great War”. Most people, civilian and soldier alike, assumed it would be relatively short lived. Perhaps it would last a few days, no more than a few months, and it would certainly be over by the time the holidays came around. As men and boys of all ages (some far too young to fight) were shipping off to war by the thousands, they and their loved ones found comfort in the notion that they would be “Home By Christmas”. This phrase, commonly spoken across many nations and in many different languages throughout the first months of the war, just so happens to be the title of the first song we’ve decided to share with you on our long journey to writing this musical.
Written in the style of popular European war songs from the era, “Home By Christmas” is a short piece that appears multiple times throughout the show, changing in musical arrangement depending on the context of the scene in which it takes place (think “Remember Me”, from Coco, for all you Disney Pixar fans out there). No matter how the arrangement is presented, the tune remains the same; simple, melodic, and characterized by its ability to be easily sung and remembered, as all good war songs must be. It first appears at the opening of the show in the form of an upbeat military march sung by a parade of British soldiers as they proudly pass through the streets of London, cheered on by a crowd of spectators showing support for their beloved warriors who are going off to fight for the Crown. It appears later in the show as a festive polka, sung by a troop of German soldiers who decorate their trench for Christmas with whatever makeshift ornaments they can assemble.
At first glance, it might seem odd to have this same song performed by enemies on opposite sides of the battlefield, but this choice is deliberate. We too often lose sight of the closeness of the nations who fought in this first World War, both geographically and culturally. Amongst the countless shared traditions in Europe, many folk songs and other tunes found themselves dispersed all throughout the continent as travelers brought their knowledge and experiences with them wherever they went. Some go so far back and are so universally well known that historians can’t even pinpoint their place of origin. A great example of this phenomenon is a melody that we here in the United States recognize as “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”. It also happens to be the melody for “God Save the Queen” and “Heil dir im Siegerkranz”, the national anthems of both Great Britain and the German Empire, respectively, at the time of World War One (come to a production of our show one day and you might just see how these anthems can be creatively intertwined, wink-wink). Experts have traced the melody of these songs back hundreds of years without certain confirmation of its origins. Although it’s an original, we like to think that “Home By Christmas” could have been just another one of these timeless melodies, weaving its way throughout the land until it was adopted by all nations.
Dramatically speaking, “Home By Christmas” is sung from the perspective of a soldier who is just about to leave for war. Blissfully unaware of the danger that awaits him, he assures his loved one that the two of them will be together for Christmas when the war is through. The first verse and refrain of the English lyrics are as follows:
I'll be home by Christmas, so they say. All the fighting will be through. I'll be home again on Christmas Day, And I'll spend the day with you. I'll be home again, safe at home again. In my heart, I know it's true. We'll be free again, light the tree again. I am coming home to you!
The recording we’ve chosen to share in this blog post is quite different from an upbeat march or festive polka, as previously described. We’ve decided that the best way to present this simple song is in its simplest version. There is no large band of musicians or chorus of soldiers, just a single voice and guitar. Though the music may be simple in this scene, appearing early on in the first act, the emotions are complicated. Simon, a young lad from London, has enlisted in the British Army. Having kept it a secret until the day he leaves for training camp, his younger brother, Jack, becomes furious when the news is finally revealed. He begs Simon not to go fight in the war and accuses him of abandoning the family. This argument is quickly deflated, however, when Simon states that if he stays home now he would be considered a deserter. Realizing that there’s nothing he can do to keep his older brother from leaving, Jack gives Simon his most prized possession, a pocket watch which contains a family photo from a time when they were both younger and happier. As Simon stares tenderly at the picture, Jack tells his brother that no matter where he goes and no matter what he does, his family will always be with him. With both brothers now at a loss for words, Simon breaks the silence by singing “Home By Christmas”, a song that they had just heard moments ago in the parade. The song has a new, bittersweet meaning to them now. Simon sings it as an earnest promise to his little brother, assuring him that they will be together again. And, with that, he heads off to training camp, leaving young Jack alone.
As I wrap up this blog entry, I can’t help but touch on the parallels between the era of our show and the age we are living through now during the COVID-19 pandemic. I think of the political and military leaders at the time of World War One who sent millions of soldiers off to die gruesome deaths in a war that many experts say could have been avoided altogether. I think of those very soldiers who signed up to fight in the summer of 1914 under the assumption that it would be a quick, painless endeavor due to the blatant lies their leaders fed them in the form of wartime propaganda. The simple fact is that by Christmas of 1914, a few short months into the war, hundreds of thousands of soldiers had already been killed in battle, with millions more to come by the end of the war in 1918. And now, as we approach Christmas of 2020, less than a year into this pandemic, over 1.6 million people have died as a result of COVID-19. Millions dead over a hundred years apart as a result of two tragic, needless events.
Although many soldiers survived that terrible first year of World War One, they still did not get to come home for the holidays as they were promised. Instead, they were stuck in the icy trenches of the Western Front, cold and miserable. And now, today, millions of people around the world are making the difficult choice to stay where they currently are instead of coming home for the holidays in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Just as we thank the soldiers who fought in those bitter trenches and the doctors, nurses, and workers who helped save as many lives as they could, we thank our soldiers now as well as the doctors, nurses, emergency responders, essential workers, and anyone who is doing their part to keep as many people alive today as humanly possible. It’s heartbreaking to know that we won’t all be “Home By Christmas” this year. However, if we all do what we must in order to eliminate this virus then, hopefully, we will be together again for many years to come.