Description
16 Million Souls” was written in Perth, Western Australia, during 2016 (and revised several times since). The title reflects the (estimated) number of people who died in the two world wars of the twentieth century; the timing of the piece’s conception reflects the various recent centennial anniversaries of the first war. In the first part of the piece, we reflect on several military themes and hear the sounds of guns and explosions typical of warfare. The remainder of the piece reminds us that many of those who survived service on the front (including my grandfather, who spent most of WWI as a stretcher bearer picking up bodies, seriously wounded men and body parts) had their daily lives regularly interrupted by mental flashbacks and trauma resulting from their embedded and un-erasable memories.
This piece is offered free, but if it is felt good enough to perform then a donation to RSL / RBL / Help for Heroes etc would be appropriate.
Note: not having a full orchestra available to me in my house, the sample music here is synthesised. It will, of course, sound much better when played by a real orchestra.