Author Archives: rmoneale
Five minutes with…Celeste Lazarenko, soprano
In the lead up to the premiere of ‘An Australian War Requiem’ in August, we asked each of our soloists for their thoughts on being part of such an important work. Celeste Lazarenko kindly answered, as follows: What is the … Continue reading
Gallipoli—a name that will never be forgotten
Extracts from letter to his mother, written 19th May from hospital ship ‘Seang Choon’ at Lemnos island by Platoon Sergeant Lisle M Lane (4th Battalion), who was wounded on the 26th April, but is now at the front again fighting … Continue reading
‘Thy battle’s fought’—Interview with Pamela Traynor, librettist—Part 2
Finding Reginald James Godfrey In one of the letters Christopher and I read at the Australian War Memorial, written by Asdruebal James Keast to his mother during the War, there is a reference to a poem from ‘Jim’, his friend. … Continue reading
Treasured letters: an interview with Pamela Traynor, librettist—part 1
The libretto for An Australian War Requiem features quotes from letters between soldiers at the front and mothers at home in Australia. It also includes excerpts from poems, and from the sacred hymn of Mary, the Stabat Mater. The libretto … Continue reading
An Australian War Requiem—beginning our journey
There is something very special about picking up the score of a newly composed work at the start of a rehearsal period; of leafing through the pages and ever-so-slightly stumbling over unfamiliar words, fumbling through initially alien harmonies. The contents … Continue reading
An Australian War Requiem 