A new choral anthem commemorating choristers and organists who fell in the First World War.
Help us raise funds for charities supporting choral music, choristers and young musicians.
Help us raise funds for charities supporting choral music, choristers and young musicians.
patrons
General The Lord Dannatt GCB, CBE, MC, DL
Alderman Sir Andrew Parmley MusM Hon, FGS
The Venerable (Air Vice Marshal) Jonathan Chaffey CB, RAF
The Right Reverend David Conner KCVO
Dame Judi Dench CH, DBE, FRSA
Juliet Nicolson
Alderman Sir Andrew Parmley MusM Hon, FGS
The Venerable (Air Vice Marshal) Jonathan Chaffey CB, RAF
The Right Reverend David Conner KCVO
Dame Judi Dench CH, DBE, FRSA
Juliet Nicolson
The anthem
Composed by Samuel bordoli
Bewilderment and grief swept over the nation in the years immediately following the end of the First World War as it attempted to come to terms with the scale of what had happened. The conflict had torn apart the fabric of society and the task of rebuilding fell upon the shoulders of those whose loved ones would not return. The idea of a two minutes commemorative pause was established by King George V in 1919 on Armistice Day; this first great silence was observed across the whole land. The process of regeneration and remembrance had begun in the spirit of optimism that this had been the ‘war to end all wars’.
Silence in music is a powerful metaphor. After the sound stops, all that remains is an echo. This anthem has been composed to commemorate choristers who fell during the First World War. The text, ‘Song and Pain’, was written by Ivor Gurney, a chorister at Gloucester Cathedral from 1900 – 1906. He conceived it during the Battle of the Somme in 1916 at Crucifix Corner whilst serving with The Gloucestershire Regiment. The spirit of the words reflects the mood at the end of the war; it captures the idea of resurrection, that from the ashes, the soldier poet will endure his pain and enter the House of Joy. After an introduction played by the organist, the work moves between two thematic sections, both of which return throughout. The first, a verse for unaccompanied choir in D minor, sets captures the sense of sadness and loss. The second, a chorus in D major, is optimistic and bright. The three melody notes in the main theme (C#, D and A) also unify the harmonic structure of the work, which is based on these three keys. At this point, churches have the opportunity to have the names of their fallen choristers sung as a roll call, each name dropping away until there is silence. An ecstatic build-up provides a climax to the work, where each voice enters in layers, before the music comes to a peaceful end. It is rare, if not unprecedented, for a musical work to be composed specifically to commemorate choristers who have lost their lives in war. Their echo and the regenerative spirit of The Great Silence bring a legacy into the lives of former and serving choristers of today. The anthem is also suitable for general commemorative use, with or without a sung list of names. The Great Silence project is proud to be supporting and raising funds for the Royal College of Organists and Friends of Cathedral Music. Donations have also been made to London Music Masters. |
Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.
HRH The Earl of Wessex with the composer, Samuel Bordoli, and the Director of Windsor Festival, Martin Denny, after the premiere of The Great Silence in St George's Chapel Windsor. Copyright © Gill Aspel Photography 2016
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