The Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, has paid tribute to the men of the Somme and spoken of the meaning of their sacrifice today, saying “Our prayer must be that with the wisdom sown in blood and tears we may be agents of the reconciliation which is God’s will, reconciliation wherever we live or from wherever we come, rejecting those who would stir up hatred and division and instead working for reconciliation that will ensure that our children will never have to endure what the men of the Somme so bravely endured.”

The Bishop gave the address at the Westminster Abbey service on the Eve of the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme, attended by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.

The service was conducted by the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster. Among the readings was A Trench Narrative, read by actor Luke Thompson. It was written by Second Lieutenant Jocelyn Buxton (1896-1916), 6th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade, who was killed in action on the first day of the Somme.

The service was sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey, conducted by the Organist and Master of the Choristers, James O’Donnell, including the anthem Watch With Me by Judith Bingham, commissioned for this service.

The Abbey remained open through the night for a vigil to mark the centenary, with a constant watch at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

You can watch a BBC recording of the service as part of its Somme 100 coverage here.

The Bishop’s full address can be read here and you can listen to a recording on the Westminster Abbey website here.

Picture credit: Picture Partnership/Westminster Abbey