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Special Service - Vigil on the Eve of the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme

@ Durham Cathedral

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Following Evensong, a vigil will be held in the Cathedral. Members of the congregation can come and go as they wish, to pay their respects and remember in whatever way feels most appropriate. Special readings and organ music will be used.

Members of the congregation will also have the opportunity to view the Butte Crosses, reunited at Durham Cathedral for a special exhibition starting on Saturday 2 July. The three crosses were erected on top of a chalk hill called the Butte de Warlencourt following the Battle of the Somme in memory of the soldiers of the 6th, 8th and 9th Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry. As part of the Cathedral’s First World War commemorations, the crosses will be reunited in the Cathedral to form a poignant and powerful witness.

We are looking for contemporary material to use in readings for the service. If you have any surviving personal diaries, letters or postcards from this time, please contact events@durhamcathedral.co.uk

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