Abstract
This composition traces Aitken’s journey from his arrival in Gallipoli, his experience of Christmas 1915, his preparation for battle at the Somme, the loss of his comrades, and encounters with the German army. The sound of his solo violin, which he took with him through the war, also pervades the piece. Somehow the violin survived and found its way back to Otago Boys High, Aitken's old school. I have used extracts from Aitken's book (all prose), which are surrounded by a wide variety of other texts, most contemporaneous with the war. There are several poems by soldiers who died during the war, along with traditional song texts with re-composed music. There are even re-compositions of Schubert and Handel, resulting from Aitken experiences and thoughts. One example: at the Somme, Aitken see a sign-post with a finger pointing the direction to the town of Ypres. Even by September 1916 the name Ypres was infamous, and reminded Aitken of Schubert’s famous song Der Wegweiser (The Signpost) that contains the ominous line "There’s a road that I must wander / Where no traveller returns."
A unifying element in the work is the recurring 'battle music' - harsh, relentless, astringent and repetitive. There is no escaping the ugliness of war. The 'battle music' uses texts in different languages each time: Maori, English, German, and there is a purely instrumental version featuring the solo violin.
The work ends with words by the great Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, taken from the Anzac war memorial in Canberra. This healing text is set to the same music that begins the work, providing a frame for the whole oratorio.