Songs of Remembrance
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Songs of Remembrance is a recital recounting the experiences of men and women during World War I through their songs, diary entries, and letters. It was first performed on November 17, 2018, at Christ Church in Sparkill, New York, to mark the centenary of Armistice Day. That night the readings were performed by actors Jordan Baker and Kevin Kilner. I’m developing the piece as a one-woman show and continuing research to more accurately represent the global scale of the war and how it was experienced by the various countries and cultures involved.
I’ve always been fascinated by World War I—its horror and senselessness, the loss of a generation, poets like Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke, its impact on social structures, and its consequences throughout the twentieth century up to today. When I decided to create a recital last fall, I was excited by the idea of doing something to mark the 100th anniversary of its end. Luckily for me, libraries in America, Canada, and Australia had digitized their collections of early twentieth century sheet music. After choosing the songs, the big question was how to stitch them together to form a larger narrative. The solution came from the research itself as I learned about the songs themselves—who had written them, how they were used, and what they meant. So rather than simply pairing text and music to illustrate a cultural feeling or portray a character, the piece explores the importance of—and even reliance on—music during the Great War. The songs are grounded in historical context by writings of the period and supporting factual detail. Each reading is a miniature portrait whose individual thoughts and emotions represent a collective experience.
“[Music] was the soldiers’ assertion of ordinary
humanity in the face of extraordinary
inhumanity.”
Max Arthur, When This Bloody War Is Over:
Soldiers’ Songs of the First World War
"The significant role of music during World War I has been overshadowed by the horrors of that conflict and is often overlooked. Music was used as a recruitment tool, to bind Britain’s dominions to their Motherland, to unite the allied nations, and, within America, to unite its multicultural citizens as one. On the home front, songs were written to sell war bonds, to encourage a sense of solidarity and a sense of duty, to keep spirits up, and to honor the sacrifice and grief felt by many families while holding out the promise of a glorious victory. Music halls, regarded by many Victorians as a risqué and disreputable entertainment form, threw their full support behind the war effort, raising their respectability through fervid patriotism.
A bit of comic relief: "If He Can Fight Like He Can Love (Good Night, Germany)"
"To the soldiers, music was a vital coping mechanism. Singing was an activity that brought men together and reinforced their camaraderie. Gramophones were a favorite gift received by soldiers at the front. Along with the popular music of the day, soldiers sang their own songs, setting new words to well-known hymns and tunes. In this way, “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” became “When Very Lights Are Shining.” These lyrics were mostly comical. Some display a wry gallows humor and some are bawdy bordering on profane, but they reflect an innocence and an effort to keep plodding along." —excerpt from Songs of Remembrance
"I’m Going Back Again to Yarrawonga," by Corporal Neil McBeath of the Australian Imperial Force