Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Event Details

Marking the 50th anniversary of our withdrawal from the conflict in 1971.

The premiere of the Vietnam Requiem will be the next creation in the Australian War Memorial’s (AWM) project to create a free national commemorative repertoire, remembering the conflicts that Australia has been involved in. Created and directed by Chris Latham, Artist-in-Residence at the AWM, the Flowers of War team brings together Australia’s leading composers and performing artists to create this memorable theatrical concert. The Requiem will be deeply moving as it retells our stories from both abroad and at home, on the 50th anniversary of our withdrawal. It is being designed to help heal the great wound created by this war in response to extensive veteran and community consultation, deep listening and research. It will honour veterans' service and their families, and the price paid by all who were touched by this war, including South Vietnamese Veterans and Boat People. We believe it will honour their sacrifices.

The Requiem will tell the stories, through music and projected imagery, of Australian and New Zealand personnel on the battlefield; the affects of war on the civilian and military medical staff and entertainers who toured; the protest movement; journalists and photojournalists, and the South Vietnamese refugees who fled to freedom and endured a perilous journey to re-settle and become integrated into our culture.

The concert will have two distinct halves. The 1st half being a fusion of iconic pop songs from the era performed by Little Pattie, John Schumann, Normie Rowe and others under the direction of Australia's most versatile and experienced jazz musician Bill Risby. The 2nd half will be the Vietnam Requiem, commissioned by the AWM through the generous donation of Metal Manufacturers Ltd and created by Australia’s leading composers Elena Kats-Chernin, Ross Edwards, Graeme Koehne, Andrew Schultz and others. It will feature William Barton on didjeridu, members of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, ANU Chamber Orchestra, RAN, Army and RAAF Defence Force Bands and choirs.

This concert is made possible through our partnership with the AWM, Metal Manufacturers Ltd, Dept of Veterans Affairs, Australia Council for the Arts, ANU School of Music, National Archives of Australia, Vietnamese Community in Australia, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Australian Cultural Fund, Vietnam and Vietnamese Veteran organisations.

Further information for this event is available online at the event's website

Featured Australian Works

	Dominion, op. 112 : for choir and orchestra (2020) by Andrew Schultz
	Doppler Patrol, op.111a : version with two acoustic guitars and didjeridu (2021) by Andrew Schultz
	Lacrimosa : The Fields of Bullecourt by Elena Kats-Chernin

Featured artists

• Music of Ross Edwards
• Music of Graeme Koehne
• Performer William Barton
• Performer Canberra Symphony Orchestra
• Performer ANU School of Music Chamber Orchestra