| Main Performers | Moyna MacGill - vocal,
George Lansbury MP,
John Wheatley MP,
Dr Marion Phillips,
Mr A J Cook,
Ellen Wilkinson MP,
Frank Horrabin,
Cynthia Mosley,
William Paul - speakers
Hilda Saxe - piano |
| Choirs | London Labour Choral Union,
Welsh Miners' Choir |
| Conductors | Rutland Boughton,
Charles Thomas |
| Set List | Demonstration - speeches
Two Folk Songs: 'Manin Veen', arr. Vaughan Williams (London Labour Choral Union),
'Swansea Town', arr. Gustav Holst (London Labour Choral Union),
'Martyrs of the Arena', Laurence de Rille (Welsh Miners' Choir),
Two Scottish Folk Songs: 'Annie Laurie', arr. Granville Bantock (London Labour Choral Union),
'The Keel Row', arr. Thomas Dunhill (London Labour Choral Union),
'Crusaders', Dr. Protheroe (Welsh Miners' Choir),
'Masque of Anarchy', Shelley (Moyna Macgill)
'In the Sweet', Dr. Protheroe (Welsh Miners' Choir),
'The Red Flag'
Irish Folk Song: 'The Mother's Lamentation', arr.Thomas Dunhill (London Labour Choral Union),
Part Song: 'Allen-a-Dale', Pearsall (London Labour Choral Union),
'The International' |
| Performance Notes | The event was in support of the United Kingdom General Strike (4-12 May 1926), which was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British government to act to prevent wage reductions and worsening conditions for 1.2 million locked-out coal miners.
"WE SHALL NOT RECEDE.
MR COOK AND 'BITTER END'.
Over £1,000, apart from jewels, which included a pearl necklace and a gold ring said to be worth £80, was raised by a collection taken on Saturday night at a demonstration held in the Royal Albert Hall on behalf of the fund for the miners' wives and children. Several sovereigns and half-sovereigns were given in the collection, and these were sold at the meeting for three and four times their value.
In the course of a speech Mr A J Cook said: "We shall not recede from our position in regard to questions of hours and wages unless we are beaten by starvation. It will then be a victory dearly bought by the Governments and coal-owners that our men will never forget. The miners of the country will stand by their leader, Herbert Smith, and support him and myself to the bitter end. We want to win without a long drawn-out struggle. We hope it will be soon, but, whatever the consequences, neither Herbert Smith nor I will recommend the men to accept longer hours or lower wages.
"Now that the general strike has been declared off," he concluded, "we can only win if our children are fed. We cannot fight starvation, and that is why I believe in the general strike. A Constitution that cannot provide for men who invest their lives in Britain's most dangerous industry must be changed.""
(Daily Telegraph, 1 May 1926) |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1926/48) |