When the RMS Titanic set sail across the Atlantic from Southampton on her maiden voyage 100 years ago, the luxury passenger liner that cost $7,500,000 to build was reckoned to be unsinkable. After stop-offs in Cherbourg and Queenstown (now Cobh) in Ireland, she was ready to make the crossing. With 2,201 people onboard she set sail for New York. What happened 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland is history…
From the moment the ship sank, a series of powerful myths grew up around the Titanic. Perhaps the most potent of all was that of the band standing on deck, bravely playing on until the last lifeboat had left and there was no hope of escape. For the first time, Titanic: The Band Played On (pictured) tells the story of those unsung heroes who were about to play for the last time.
Presented by Madness frontman Suggs, this brand-new and exclusive film reveals why the media and public were so captivated by the story of these courageous men. He interviews renowned experts and descendants of the band’s musicians to delve further into the story that has lasted well beyond their lifetimes.
Taking a fresh look at the Titanic disaster, the film uncovers new details about the heroic band of musicians who played together for the first and last time aboard the ship, as well as examining the facts and looking at memorabilia to ask questions about the band’s role in the tragedy. It also asks why the hymn Nearer My God To Thee has grown up around the ship’s final moments.
