Gifted violinist Hugh Gordon Langton, was born in London and studied the violin with some of the most famous music professors of the era. Like his father, Hugh was a Freemason.
Hugh joined the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment during WW1 and was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele on 26thOctober 1917. He was buried in Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Langemark-Poelkapelle, West Flanders, Ieper/Ypres, Belgium. His Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone is unusual in that it has some musical notes engraved on it.
A note on Hugh's memorial on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website suggested that the musical notes might be taken from the popular song "After the Ball". But it occurred to me that they might not come from that tune as Hugh was a classical musician. So I asked our talented musician friend David Windle if he could identify them. David, who is Musical Director of the Tower Circus in Blackpool, told me that, although the tune is similar, the notes are not from "After the Ball". David researched Hugh’s life story and was moved to compose a piece of music with a violin cadenza in honour of Hugh Gordon Langton. He has called the piece “Langton’s Theme” - David has written the score which includes a violin cadenza and is hoping it will be performed. Singer Lynne Fox produced a short video to accompany the music David composed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iOho4c_bJg&feature=player_embedded
The local brass Band at Harelbeke near the cemetery have also composed a piece of music which they play every year at Hugh’s graveside.
For further information about David's composition, please contact David Windle on circus2016@outlook.com
