Viva Lewes Issue #146 November 2018

ON THIS MONTH: CONCERT
The Winter of the World
Marking the Centenary of the Armistice
It is, of course, this Remembrance
Day – the 11th of the
11th, 2018 – that marks a hundred
years since Armistice Day,
when peace finally descended,
in 1918.
The Winter of the World is a
concert originally commissioned
in 2014 by Lewes Town
Council to mark the Centenary
of the start of World
War 1. It’ll be performed once
more, this November, to mark
its end: the Anniversary of
Remembrance Day.
The title’s taken from a
Wilfred Owen sonnet, says
local composer Helen Glavin
(pictured) who devised the
piece. Owen of course was one
of the first world war poets,
tragically killed, at the age of
25, in action in 1918.
The piece combines music
with poetry and archive
photography, projected onto
a cinema screen. “I researched
about 200 archive photographs
and selected around
forty,” says Helen. “It was
often a heart-rending process,
but I loved the creative challenge
of putting together such
different elements.”
The result is a moving blend
of image, word and music.
Work by Shakespeare and
Carol Ann Duffy is read
alongside the war poets. And
the musical elements include
classical choral pieces, two of
Helen’s own original compositions
– Lest we Forget and Who
Fights the Wars – popular
songs of the period, and jazz
instrumentals.
Performers include the
Baroque Collective Singers –
conductor John Hancorn, and
The Everyman Ensemble. Soloists
are Susan Moate (violin),
John Hancorn (baritone) and
Oscar Morgan (tenor). The
pianists are Nancy Cooley
and Helen Glavin, who’ll also
read alongside actor Jonathan
Cullen. “There’ll be some
changes to the programme
for this 2018 performance,”
Helen tells us, “marking the
centenary with renewed hope
for humanity and for peace”.
An evening not to be missed.
Charlotte Gann
The Winter of the World takes
place on 18th November at
7.30pm in the All Saints Centre.
It’s a free event, but places will
be limited, so tickets given on a
first-come first-served basis.
Photo by Pete Menzies Photo courtesy of Edward Reeves
83