An ANZAC Salute featuring NZ Community Trust Woolston Brass

Denis Dewe reviews the ANZAC tribute concert by the Christchurch Symphony, Christchurch Civic Choir and NZ Community Trust Woolston Brass. The concert featured the premiere work Gallipoli Voices (John Ritchie)

A special concert took place at the Christchurch Town Hall in the evening of Anzac Day 2006.

The Christchurch Symphony and Christchurch Civic Choir (conductor, Brian Law), with NZCT Woolston Brass (music director, David Gallaher) combined  to present a programme familiar in content but made far richer in execution through the combined forces of these three Christchurch musical icons, joined by singer Helen Medlyn and embellished with the first performance of a special item by Emeritus Professor John Ritchie.

Appropriately presaged by the familiar fanfare and joined by a full-throated audience, proceedings began with God Save The Queen and God Defend New Zealand. Sir William Walton's Spitfire Prelude and Fugue then from the orchestra, made more poignant by the death in Christchurch only days before of WWII fighter ace Johnny Checketts DSO DFC.

Then, commissioned by the band with a grant from Creative New Zealand, from the pen of another wartime pilot and patron of Woolston Brass, John Ritchie's magnificent new work Gallipoli Voices for brass band, chorus, bass baritone and narrator. For this initial performance the narrator was Paul van Uren.

Unique in including narration from the diaries of 17 soldiers and sailors who served in that disastrous campaign we commemorate each year, Gallipoli Voices is in five continuous segments. Firstly, Dawn 25 April with muted entry and narrator, "Heaven only knows where the next New Year will see us", followed by a fortissimo Invasion, percussion and tubas prominent here - "Bloody rough country for infantry!" from a sergeant's diary as the band portrays the scaling of those barren hills and the carnage which followed - "Out of a whole battalion of 800 men not more than 200 now remained". The battle raged on, with "The work of the Turkish artillery is most accurate and deadly", then, announced by flugel horn, Islam mourns, with evocative scoring for full band, dying away to contrasting chords. A quote from the Holy Koran then, with Mustapha Kemal's famous order to his troops "I don't order you to attack, I order you to die" followed by reiterated semi-quavers to a dramatic sustained fortissimo passage for full band.

Then a diminuendo to several quotes, among them the famous remark by Cyril Bassett VC, "I got a Victoria Cross. All my mates got were wooden crosses." Joined then by the choir, this powerful work goes on to depict a soldier's desire to live through the holocaust of Renewed Battle as the Wellington Regiment reaches the heights of Chunuk Bair. Continued drama as choir and band interact, with Chris Bruerton and chorus  leading through to a final 'We Will Remember Them', with a fitting conclusion by full band to end this portrayal of the campaign and of those who took part in it.

All participants in this first performance are surely to be congratulated.

Plenty for percussionists in Gallipoli Voices, and much to reflect upon as the work was given a great reception from a hitherto hushed audience. The composer himself was then given a deserved accolade by all present. Let us hope that we hear this work often in the years to come. New Zealand, and Australia too, deserve no less.

An anti-climax followed, perhaps inevitably. Beethoven's Three Equali by a 'Veteran trombone quartette' of former New Zealand Army bandsmen. Helen Medlyn entered then for a bracket of evergreen wartime songs with the Christchurch Symphony. Our orchestra ended the first half with two of Eric Coates' best-known marches, Knightsbridge then Dambusters, the latter rendered with enthusiasm, searchlights, Lancaster bomber overhead and the voice of Winston Churchill.

Recognising our allies, the orchestra opened the second half with the evergreen Battle Hymn of the Republic. Woolston Brass then, with Anchors Away (USA), Alford's On the Quarter Deck (Royal Navy)) the RAF March Past (Walford Davies) and Alford's best-known march, Colonel Bogey, whistled and sung with dubious words by British Commonwealth soldiers everywhere. Then a sing-along with Helen Medlyn, choir and orchestra, with (what else?) White Cliffs of Dover and We'll Meet Again, ever associated with Dame Vera Lynn, and The Quartermaster' Stores, Lili Marlene, Tipperary and Pack Up Your Troubles.

The band again with a Glenn Miller Medley in fine style, then combined forces in Maori Battalion. The penultimate item then, Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No 1 with audience enthusiastically singing Benson's immortal Land of Hope and Glory. To end a concert rich in music and nostalgia, Christchurch Symphony and Woolston Brass with Sunset, cornetists sounding the evocative call from four points in the hall. All who were fortunate enough to be there on Anzac Day 2006 will look forward to another collaboration between choir, orchestra and band next year!

Denis Dewe
Christchurch
April 2006

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