Songs From Behind the Front
Music
State Opera’s ‘Songs From Behind the Front’ is a 70-minute presentation of life during World War I through songs, poetry and prose.
Cleverly directed by Velalien, the small ensemble captures the spirit of the time, the naïveté of nations and the reality of human suffering in war.
Velalien’s design transformed the Opera Studio into a small field hospital, the trenches and a home against a screen depicting sunsets, clear skies, dark clouds and moonlit nights. The costumes and period furniture, in brown and khaki hues, captured the times.
The production is an intimate, moving experience that displays an understanding and appreciation of the realities of war through song.
State Opera artistic director Timothy Sexton, dressed as a civilian, set the sombre tone of the show with a hard-hitting recital of Peter Austen’s “The Glory of War”.
Hew Wagner and Andrew Turner complemented each other as the fresh recruit and young officer and, in addition to singing beautifully, they created soldierly business and struck some powerful images.
Courtney Turner was an absolute delight in “Quand Madelon”, as the young French woman who brought some pleasure to soldiers on leave as she served them food and wine.
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One of the many strengths of Songs From Behind the Front is that much of the material contains songs that will be new to an audience. There are Australian songs such as “Cooee! Here Come the Kangaroos” and poems such as Billy Boy by Henry Lawson.
Desiree Frahn created a powerful moment, dressed in black and lit only by a lantern, as she delivered “Noel Des Enfants”, by Claude Debussy, which is a poignant reminder of the effects of war on civilians. Occasionally, patriotic songs such as the Canadian “We’ll Never Let the Old Flag Fall” appeared, but they were in the context of the number of individuals who lost their lives in the war.
Hew Wagner, Courtney Turner and Andrew Turner. Photo: Accent Photography
It is surprising how much about the war years is conveyed in a very brief time and it was sensible of the creative team to acknowledge the difficulties that soldiers had in returning to civilian life with Peter Austen’s “Bill-Jim” and Jack Fewster’s song “Brother Bill-Jim”.
Songs From Behind the Front is an excellent production that was conceived in collaboration with Dr Christine Rothauser as part of the Flanders Fields Poppy Trail commemorations. It deserves to be widely seen and perhaps toured in future to schools or revived with schools travelling to the Opera Studio. Lest we forget.
Songs From Behind the Front was presented by State Opera at the Opera Studio in Netley on July 8, 9 and 10.
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