The ‘POW Requiem’ – their road to freedom
A message from the Flowers of Peace project
The 2022 premiere of the fourth in the Flowers of Peace (formerly Flowers of War) series of national commemorative musical works – the POW Requiem – is reaching its final stages of creative development. This epic concert, directed by Christopher Latham OAM, the Artist in Residence at the Australian War Memorial, will create a deeper understanding of the stories of prisoners of war (POWs) from the Second World War, particularly those held captive in Asia.
The concert will show all perspectives through the power of music and imagery and will be created by some of Australia’s leading composers. It will be performed by Greta Bradman, Andrew Goodwin, Riley Lee, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and choirs.
Mr Latham adds ‘it will tell the story of the Fall of Singapore and the Sook Ching massacres, the war at sea in the Pacific, including the sinking of the both HMAS Perth and USS Houston, the use of POW and Asian forced labourers, known as Rōmusha, on the construction of the Thai–Burma Railroad. It will explore local stories around the internment of German and Italians civilian and POWs in Australia and in particular, the Japanese breakout at Cowra.
Some of the songs from the ‘Changi Songbook’ will demonstrate how entertainers kept up morale along with the adaptation of works sung by the astounding Women’s Vocal Orchestra of Sumatra (the POW choir featured in the film Paradise Road). We will show how doctors and medical orderlies saved men and we’ll end with a history of Japanese Australian reconciliation in the penultimate movement, the ‘Tears of Forgiveness’.
All these works will document the experiences of all Australian POWs, including the capture of the
Australian 8th Division (24,000+ men) and civilians taken in Singapore, Rabaul, Ambon, Timor and Java, and their subsequent experiences as POWs of the Japanese.
Concert details:
- Saturday, 29 October 2022
- 1pm – 4.15pm
- Llewellyn Hall, Australian National University, Canberra
- Tickets on sale via flowersofpeace.com.au where you also find more information
This project is made possible through the support of the DVA (through a Saluting Their Service grant), the Australian War Memorial, Metal Manufacturers Ltd, and the Australia Council for the Arts.
