Music remembering the last day of peace in Europe before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 will be performed around the world today (July 27th 2014) as part of the Italian Government’s commemorative programme.
Events start in Italy with a lone trumpeter playing ‘Silenzio’ (equivalent to the ‘Last Post’). Other countries taking part include Albania, Britain, France, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, South Africa and the United States.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia on 28th July 1914. Within a week, all of Europe’s great powers were at war.
Today’s symbolic act of commemoration remembers the fallen and pays tribute to their sacrifice.
In the UK, at the invitation of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYOGB) will join forces with the First World Centenary initiative, ‘The Last Post Project.’
The NYOGB’s brass ensemble will perform the ‘Last Post’ in a special arrangement, combining the poignant music of this final salute with the moving hymn ‘Abide with Me’. This will take place at the Library of Birmingham at 3pm.
The five-strong ensemble of trumpet, horns, tuba and cornet is drawn from the 165 members of NYOGB – one of the world’s foremost youth orchestras – and will include the BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist and BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Award winner, Matilda Lloyd.
The NYOGB’s performance of the ‘Last Post’ will also be a tribute to the Reverend David Railton, originator of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and father of the Orchestra’s founder, Dame Ruth Railton.
The Last Post project is a mass participation initiative taking place in cities, towns and villages across the UK in November 2014.
Full information about the Italian Government’s Centenary programme is available here
More details about today’s UK event can be found here
Sources: UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office/Italian Government
Image courtesy of the Italian Government/Centenario Prima Guerra Mondiale 2014/2018 website
Posted by: Peter Alhadeff, Centenary News