Vaughan Williams, The Lark Ascending
In World War I, soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps were known as “Anzacs.” They first saw action in the Gallipoli landing on April 25, 1915, and their actions have been commemorated each year on what is known as Anzac Day, April 25. For people in Australia and New Zealand, Anzac day takes precedence over Remembrance Day (November 11). In addition to commemorating fallen servicemen, it marks the coming of age of Australia and New Zealand as nations.
The Gallipoli campaign failed to capture Constantinople (Istanbul) and open a supply route to Russia through the Black Sea as intended. After months of effort, the Allies realized that the campaign could not succeed. Their withdrawal was completed in January 1916 with Allied losses totaling over 42,000 dead.
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) wrote The Lark Ascending in 1914. He revised it in 1919-1920 and a version for violin and piano was first performed in 1920. The first performance of the violin and orchestra version was given in 1921. During the war years, Vaughan Williams enlisted in the army at the age of 41. Upon his return home in 1919, it is said he reworked to The Lark Ascending with its folk melodies as a nostalgic expression of simpler, pre-war times.
The featured video takes the musical work and combines it with images of Gallipoli. From the notes to the video:
Presented across Australia in March 2015, Reflections on Gallipoli is an immersive music/theatre exploration of the Anzac tale by Australia’s greatest storytellers including director Neil Armfield, ACO artistic director and violin Richard Tognetti, large-scale theatre specialist Nigel Jamieson, soprano Taryn Fiebig and many more.
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