An Evening with St Elmo’s Fire Singer, Songwriter and Filmmaker – John Parr

🌟🏆Award-winning Film🏆🌟

Great news! On Saturday evening, 28th March 2026, A Pack of Five won Best UK Short Film at the Liverpool Indie Awards 2026. Not long to go… it comes to the VSC on 22nd April.

Catch a short preview here: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1076341552

Book tickets: https://www.ticketsource.com/vsc-events/t-qmjrnyg

In partnership with the Hedd Wyn Ysgwrn Charitable Trust, the Victory Services Club is delighted to host an exclusive screening of this new short film.

🎬 Film Screening: A Pack of Five
📅 Wednesday, 22nd April 2026
🕕 18:00 – 20:30
🎟️ Tickets: £40 per person (to include free-flowing Reception drinks of prosecco, bottled beer and soft drinks)

Please note: Tickets for this event are on sale now and must be booked directly on the Ticket Source website. They are not available for purchase from the VSC. All ticket sale proceeds will be equally shared between the VSC Charity (including support towards fully funded Respite & Welfare Breaks for serving personnel) and the Hedd Wyn Ysgwrn Charitable Trust.

John Parr is best known worldwide for the iconic hit St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion) — the unforgettable soundtrack to the classic 1980s film St. Elmo’s Fire. The song became a global anthem of resilience and determination and remains one of the most recognisable movie theme songs of its era.

Now, in a new chapter of his creative career, Parr brings that same storytelling power to film with his latest and most personal project, A Pack of Five. This exclusive event will showcase this powerful and moving film inspired by First World War history, poetry, and the enduring human spirit. Following international festival success and official selections including BAFTA Cymru and the Beverly Hills Film Festival, the film marks a significant milestone in Parr’s evolution from music icon to filmmaker.

Members will have the opportunity to experience this remarkable film and learn more about the story, inspiration, and people behind its creation. We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a memorable and informative evening.

Inspiration for John Parr’s Latest Film – A Pack of Five

Five strangers find a brief moment of peace away from the battlefield.
Sharing a joke and a smoke in the mud of the Somme,
they discover they share far more than a pack of five cigarettes.
The words of a fellow soldier and poet offer comfort more
powerful than the rifles now lying silent at their feet.
In that moment, the pen proves mightier than the sword.

The film draws its emotional core from the life and work of Hedd Wyn (1887–1917), born Ellis Humphrey Evans — a Welsh-language shepherd poet from Trawsfynydd who was killed during the First World War. His poetry, written amid the horrors of war, brought solace to those who fought and died far from home, while carrying a profound and enduring message of peace.

Hedd Wyn’s words deeply moved John Parr, as they have generations before him. That message of humanity and reconciliation became the driving force behind A Pack of Five, a self-financed film created to shine new light on the man and his timeless work. Hedd Wyn’s poetry also touched the heart of King Charles III, who met with Hedd Wyn’s nephew, Gerald Williams MBE, at the poet’s family home. Gerald had long carried a promise made to Hedd Wyn’s mother — to keep her son’s name and legacy alive. His dedication and quiet guardianship of that legacy profoundly inspired Parr to carry that promise forward. Although Gerald passed away before Parr was able to meet him, his treasured friendship with Gerald’s widow, Elsa, has brought both Gerald’s life and Hedd Wyn’s legacy vividly to life. For more information about Hedd Wyn, please visit the Hedd Wyn Ysgwrn Charitable Trust at www.heddwyn.org.

John Parr – Singer-Songwriter

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter John Parr is likely best known for his two U.S. number-one hits, Naughty Naughty and St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion).

Beyond this, Parr has written and performed title tracks and music for 12 Hollywood films, including Three Men and a Baby, The Running Man, and Near Dark. His work is also connected with major film soundtracks such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Deadpool. Across his career, Parr has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide.

The iconic theme song St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion) was originally co-written by John Parr and David Foster, as an anthem for Canadian Paralympic wheelchair athlete and activist Rick Hansen. After a truck accident left Hansen paralysed from the waist down due to a spinal cord injury, he set an extraordinary goal during his recovery — to wheel his chair around the world to raise funds and awareness for spinal research. Hansen’s journey began in May 1985.

In 1985, there was little internet and no social media or Facebook, so Rick had very little publicity. At the outset of his journey, three men and a dog waved him off from a rainy shopping mall car park in Vancouver. On his return, more than a million people lined the streets, brass bands playing his song and everyone singing “Gonna be a man in motion”, as he wheeled by. During that journey Rick crossed, desert and mountain ranges, even The Great Wall of China…where a million Chinese people lined his route clapping and singing his song.

Over two years, two months, and two days, Hansen travelled 25,000 miles, averaging 50 miles per day, successfully circumnavigating the globe. His mission ultimately raised over $360 million for spinal research and helped establish ICORD, now one of the world’s leading spinal research facilities, where some patients with similar injuries have regained the ability to walk. Parr wrote and recorded St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion) specifically to support Hansen’s Man in Motion World Tour.

As a songwriter, Parr has written for major artists including Tom Jones, Meat Loaf, The Monkees, and Roger Daltrey of The Who. He also penned the Gillette anthem The Best A Man Can Get. Throughout his career, Parr has collaborated with many legendary artists, including Tina Turner, The Bee Gees, The Beach Boys, Jeff Beck, Phil Collins, Heart, Journey, Bryan Adams, Foreigner, Toto, Def Leppard, Celine Dion, Bon Jovi, and Yungblud. He has also worked alongside Hollywood stars such as Michael J. Fox, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and John Travolta.

Parr’s most recent album, The Mission, was inspired by the sacrifices made by service men and women and their families. All proceeds from the album support military charities that help veterans transition back into civilian life. As part of his military awareness campaign, Parr and his production manager, Hedley Taylor, travelled 35,000 miles by road during the first seven weeks of an 18-month pro bono tour across America. Parr also serves as an ambassador for the United Services Organizations (USO), USA Cares, and military families, and has worked extensively with Help for Heroes and UNICEF.

John Parr – Filmmaker

As a filmmaker, Parr wrote and produced Road to Damascus with his business partner, two-time Oscar winner Chris Munro. The film placed seventh in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the Academy Awards.

In 2022, Parr launched a new film division and began developing a drama documentary entitled Unconquered, which follows the rehabilitation journeys of two elite soldiers who were severely injured — both physically and mentally — in the line of duty. The film documents their path toward recovery through family support and their passion for sport, and it has also earned 170 festival wins globally.

Parr’s latest film (2025/26), A Pack of Five, has been officially selected for BAFTA Cymru and the Beverly Hills Film Festival, where it will be screened at the iconic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. John Parr wrote, produced, directed, and composed the music for A Pack of Five. The film features performances by the world-renowned Treorchy Male Voice Choir and the Sir Harry Secombe Youth Choir.