News

CHARD WATCH CIC (Working Altogether in Chard) is a voluntary group that was set up to reach out and engage with adults who, because of various conditions and issues, are socially isolated and who face barriers within their community and surrounding areas. To raise funds for their group they are selling a charity release, on CD, of the late Peter Cushing reading Peter Kayne’s poem No White Peaks, with new music written and mixed by Adam Wakeman.

No White Peaks was written by Peter Kayne (lyricist and poet) in December 1969. Whilst taking a cabaret act on tour around England, Kayne came to a performance at the Mildenhall USAF base in Suffolk, there he saw first-hand the horrific effects of the Vietnam war on young servicemen. He was so moved by this moment that he later wrote No White Peaks, a poem far removed from his usual style of writing.

In 1991 Peter Cushing OBE recorded a reading of the poem but sadly the original DAT tape of this session was damaged. Somerset Film has been involved in co-ordinating the production of the CD, transfering and restoring the recording and commissioning Adam Wakeman to write a new score for the piece. You can hear a short snippet from it here or contact the WATCH project to order your copy and help support the work of this invaluable group.