Jeunes Perdus (String Quartet)
By Brennan Keats
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$100.00
Lost Youth. String Quartet, voice (optional) and pianoThe year 2017 is the 75th anniversary of a number of wartime actions that heavily impacted on the world and, for us in particular, because this time it directly included Australia. To name but a few of these events; was the bombing of Darwin, which recently made the News, and yet hopefully to be acknowledged will be the sinking of HMAShips, Perth, Yarra, Canberra, Voyager, Armidale and Kuttabul, the latter sunk in the Japanese midget raid at the end of May 1942. Singapore was lost early in the year and the loss of RAAF aircrew over Germany and later in the Pacific amounted to thousands. Young American men were lost in our immediate defences I refer to the crews of USShips, Houston, Quincy, Astoria andVincennes. The last three were included, because of their loss in the Battle of Savo Island, to which I make reference in the work. The men lost in the main were all young, so leading me to the title of the work now before you “Jeunes Perdus” or Lost Youth.
The concept is to musically illustrate the decline in the lives of those born during the early 1920s as it became apparent that they too would be sent in many cases to face the ultimate sacrifice, and whilst on that journey they would not know the joys so taken for granted by those to be born some twenty years and more later. The music accompanies a cryptic narration to be spoken by the singer who will perform the concluding song “Over the Quiet Waters” written by Horace Keats.
The work includes both the Last Post and Taps, to bring suitable solemnity and acknowledgement of both Australian and Americans lost in the Savo and other actions. My aim is to mourn the sacrifices of many and to add to the solemnity of the events that should be acknowledged during the months ahead. Composed 2017
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ISMN 9790900979575
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