Organisers have apologised for the faulty sound system that marred the Service of Remembrance in Henley on Sunday.
Hundreds of people gathered in Market Place to honour the dead from the two world wars as well as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But many were shocked and even angered that they couldn’t hear much of the Mayor’s address or two poetry readings by children because the public address system kept cutting out.
Some complained to the Standard and asked that we publish the full texts, which we have done inside this issue.
It is the second year running that a problem with the sound system has hit the ceremony and accompanying parade of veterans, forces personnel and other groups. Henley Town Council, which organises the event, said it was investigating and promised there would not be a repeat next year.
In a letter to this week’s Standard, town clerk Mike Kennedy said he offered his “humble and deepest apologies”.
Billy Pinches, of Marlow Road, Henley, said he felt “angry and ashamed” and called the PA system “a disgrace”.
“I felt so sorry for the children who had probably been rehearsing for weeks and suffering with nerves, the Mayor and all the other speakers who were having a really difficult time,” he added.
“So many people put so much effort into this special service, they deserve much better. I wasn’t the only angry person there — many people were upset by this failure.”
Peter Reader, of Western Road, Henley, called the service a “civic embarrassment and a disgrace”.
He said: “I was embarrassed and angry to find that, yet again, the public address system was a total disaster.
“The Mayor’s address and the poems read by the two children were ruined by the almost complete failure of the audio system.”
Mr Reader said he had stood next to the mother of 10-year-old Christian Gittings, who read out Rupert Brooke’s The Soldier but was heard by only a few people because of the sound problems.
He said Sarah Gittings said to him through tears: “It is so sad. He has been practising for weeks for this day.”
Mr Reader added: “The sombre and dignified atmosphere was disrupted as those in the assembled crowd shuffled their feet and looked at their neighbours in disbelief and astonishment as the audio problems persisted throughout the service.
“I could only feel sadness and embarrassment for our civic dignitaries who were let down so badly yet again.”
Mrs Gittings told the Standard: “We couldn’t believe that on such an important and respectful day, considering the technology we have today, that the PA system could go wrong.
“People around us in the crowd said it was an utter disgrace. Christian worked really hard on the poem and chose it himself. He was asked about a month ago to do it, so he looked through books and chose this poem and had been practising since then.
“We can never get that moment back. Christian was pretty hurt. This should not have happened.”
Christian added: “I was not fully aware of what was happening because I was concentrating on getting the poem right but when I was told that hardly anyone heard me I was very disappointed, especially as my family was there.”
Amy Brandis, 14, of Western Road, Henley, recited The Unsung Hero, an award-winning poem she wrote herself.
She said: “I was lucky because the PA system seemed to work while I was reciting my poem but I can see that those who heard nothing would have been very upset.
“I was disappointed for everyone concerned, but especially for the veterans who were sitting in front of me.”
Mr Kennedy, who was not in post a year ago, said: “Although the Royal British Legion are the custodians of Remembrance, the ceremony in Henley is organised annually by the town council.
“While the arrangements for the service and the reception afterwards, both of which were attended by many hundreds of people, went well, the failure of the public address system detracted from the impact and solemnity of the occasion.
“As town clerk and the council’s chief executive officer, it falls to me to express my humble and deepest apologies for the malfunction of the PA system.
“The council hired the equipment and an operator in good faith and he has since conveyed his sincerest apologies to the Mayor and the council for this fault. I am grateful for this acknowledgement.
“We are told that the amplifier was returned from the manufacturers on Friday ‘with a clean bill of health’. It had been used successfully on both Friday and Saturday evenings without a problem and it certainly appeared to be working well in testing before the service began. The company is, therefore, unable to explain why it failed intermittently.
“On this occasion, the town council has let the people of Henley down and for that we are truly sorry. Letters of apology have been sent to all those people who took part in the service and who were affected by the faulty apparatus.
The situation will be fully investigated and steps have already been taken to ensure a repeat performance does not occur next year.”
He thanked the Standard for publishing the Mayor’s message together with the poems.
Brigadier Malcolm Page, chairman of Henley branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “I think we are all very disappointed. You could see from the faces in the crowd that they couldn’t hear what was being said. After the problem last year, I phoned the chap who loans the PA system last week to remind him about it and I was left with the impression that the problem would be attended to.”
He promised to have Amy’s poem published in the Legion’s newsletter.
The Mayor, Councillor Elizabeth Hodgkin, said: “It was a shame there were technical difficulties with the sound system but we should not let that detract from what was a very moving occasion. “What struck me this year was the amount of young people involved, not only our youth councillors who stood with the full council and dignitaries but the youth organisations were very well represented. There was a feeling of fellowship and of the community coming together to honour the men and women from our town.”
Published on 16 November 2009
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