Resurgam - memorial piece

[relm1]

Tomorrow is the 79th anniversary of D-Day (June 6, 1944), the pivotal Normandy landings from the Allied Forces onto the beaches of Nazi occupied France.  This is music from my memorial piece, Resurgam (2021) composed in the early days of covid lockdown.

https://clyp.it/r5l1emlb

Duration: 9 minutes
Instrumentation: 3.2.2.2/4.3.3.1/timp+4/hp/pno/strings

A story that really hit me hard was the story of Private Raymond Bowman.  He was in the 23rd Infantry Regiment and sent to Europe in January 1944.  The final moments of Bowman's life were captured by Robert Capa who was witness to the young man's death capturing the final moments of his life and immediate aftermath of his death being killed instantly by a shot to the dead.  He was only 21 years old when he died on August 18, 1944.  Germany surrendered two weeks later.  As fragment of the incredible wastefulness of life that war is, even more heart breaking is the picture sequence of Bowman's final moments of life, and first moments of death were posted in Life Magazine after Germany surrendered with the image sequence titled "The Last Man to Die in World War 2".  His mother hadn't yet been notified and identified it was her son from the pictures in the magazine even though the published picture didn't reveal his name and blacked out his eyes out of respect for the deceased. 

[Florestan]

Moving story but the timing is inaccurate.

A story that really hit me hard was the story of Private Raymond Bowman.  He was in the 23rd Infantry Regiment and sent to Europe in January 1944.  The final moments of Bowman's life were captured by Robert Capa who was witness to the young man's death capturing the final moments of his life and immediate aftermath of his death being killed instantly by a shot to the dead.  He was only 21 years old when he died on August 18, 1944.  Germany surrendered two weeks later.

Ahem! Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, nine full months after Bowman's death.

As fragment of the incredible wastefulness of life that war is, even more heart breaking is the picture sequence of Bowman's final moments of life, and first moments of death were posted in Life Magazine after Germany surrendered with the image sequence titled "The Last Man to Die in World War 2".

The last man to die in WWII must surely have been either a German or a Russian soldier.

EDIT: did a bit of research and here's what i found.

Raymond Bowman was actually killed on April 18, 1945.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Picture_of_the_Last_Man_to_Die

Private First Class Charles Havlat (November 4, 1910 – May 7, 1945) is recognized as being the last United States Army soldier to be killed in combat in the European Theater of Operations during World War II.[2] On May 7, 1945, he was a member of a reconnaissance patrol of the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion operating near present day Volary, Czechia. The patrol was ambushed by German soldiers, and Havlat was struck and killed by small arms fire about ten minutes before the news that all German troops in Europe were to obey a ceasefire order reached his unit, and only about six hours before the unconditional surrender of Germany.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Havlat

So, actually neither a German nor a Russian but an American of Czech ancestry.

[vandermolen]

Tomorrow is the 79th anniversary of D-Day (June 6, 1944), the pivotal Normandy landings from the Allied Forces onto the beaches of Nazi occupied France.  This is music from my memorial piece, Resurgam (2021) composed in the early days of covid lockdown.

https://clyp.it/r5l1emlb

Duration: 9 minutes
Instrumentation: 3.2.2.2/4.3.3.1/timp+4/hp/pno/strings

A story that really hit me hard was the story of Private Raymond Bowman.  He was in the 23rd Infantry Regiment and sent to Europe in January 1944.  The final moments of Bowman's life were captured by Robert Capa who was witness to the young man's death capturing the final moments of his life and immediate aftermath of his death being killed instantly by a shot to the dead.  He was only 21 years old when he died on August 18, 1944.  Germany surrendered two weeks later.  As fragment of the incredible wastefulness of life that war is, even more heart breaking is the picture sequence of Bowman's final moments of life, and first moments of death were posted in Life Magazine after Germany surrendered with the image sequence titled "The Last Man to Die in World War 2".  His mother hadn't yet been notified and identified it was her son from the pictures in the magazine even though the published picture didn't reveal his name and blacked out his eyes out of respect for the deceased. 

I like the music very much. I wonder if you know Rubbra's 'Resurgam' written in response to the bombing of Coventry Cathedral in World War Two and the building of the new cathedral.

[Florestan]

I like the music very much.

Me too. A moving piece.

[relm1]

Moving story but the timing is inaccurate.


Ahem! Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, nine full months after Bowman's death.

The last man to die in WWII must surely have been either a German or a Russian soldier.

EDIT: did a bit of research and here's what i found.

Raymond Bowman was actually killed on April 18, 1945.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Picture_of_the_Last_Man_to_Die

Private First Class Charles Havlat (November 4, 1910 – May 7, 1945) is recognized as being the last United States Army soldier to be killed in combat in the European Theater of Operations during World War II.[2] On May 7, 1945, he was a member of a reconnaissance patrol of the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion operating near present day Volary, Czechia. The patrol was ambushed by German soldiers, and Havlat was struck and killed by small arms fire about ten minutes before the news that all German troops in Europe were to obey a ceasefire order reached his unit, and only about six hours before the unconditional surrender of Germany.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Havlat

So, actually neither a German nor a Russian but an American of Czech ancestry.

Thanks for the date fixes.  Yeah, I think the title of the last man to die was editorial.  Don't even think Capra agreed with it...but it was symbolic of the fact that the end of the war was inevitable and still the killings were happening.  I saw that the street where Bowman was killed is now named after him though it was in Leipzig, Germany.  Imagine naming a street after your then enemy.  It's still a deeply moving and personal story perhaps because it isn't just a name but a very public set of pictures.  I almost feel guilty seeing it, it seems so personal if that makes any sense. 

There is also a video of the soldier right next to him talking in old age of that event. 

[relm1]

I like the music very much. I wonder if you know Rubbra's 'Resurgam' written in response to the bombing of Coventry Cathedral in World War Two and the building of the new cathedral.

Thank you!  I know the Rubbra, think I own it as I recall it was on an album I have somewhere but don't recall what inspired it.  Might have to revisit it and the composer again as I don't know much of his output but have enjoyed what I heard of his.

[relm1]

Me too. A moving piece.

Much thanks!

[Florestan]

Thanks for the date fixes.  Yeah, I think the title of the last man to die was editorial.  Don't even think Capra agreed with it...but it was symbolic of the fact that the end of the war was inevitable and still the killings were happening. 

According to Wiki, the German officer who led the troops that had fired upon Havlat's patrol, not knowing about the ceasefire, later apologized for his actions. He must have been a man of conscience.

[Karl Henning]

https://clyp.it/r5l1emlb

Duration: 9 minutes
Instrumentation: 3.2.2.2/4.3.3.1/timp+4/hp/pno/strings

Very nicely done!

[relm1]

Very nicely done!

Thank you!

[krummholz]

Very moving work, and beautifully orchestrated! Thank you for sharing it.

[relm1]

Very moving work, and beautifully orchestrated! Thank you for sharing it.

Thank you!  By the way, I'm using NP4 and BBC symphony package you told me about.

[Roasted Swan]

I thought I would just "dip into" your piece out of curiosity but it hooked me straight away and I've listened to it all straight through more than once.  Genuinely impressive and powerful and all the more so in the context of the D-Day commemoration tomorrow.  I like the emotional arc and the climax is somehow both heroic but also moving.  Many congratulations and thankyou for sharing.

[krummholz]

Thank you!  By the way, I'm using NP4 and BBC symphony package you told me about.

Cool! Definitely sounds great!

[relm1]

I thought I would just "dip into" your piece out of curiosity but it hooked me straight away and I've listened to it all straight through more than once.  Genuinely impressive and powerful and all the more so in the context of the D-Day commemoration tomorrow.  I like the emotional arc and the climax is somehow both heroic but also moving.  Many congratulations and thankyou for sharing.

Wow, thank you so much!  The subject is very personal to me.

[relm1]

There are many reasons why this is a deeply personal topic for me.  I flew back with my trombone which requires it's own seat since it doesn't fit overhead and won't check it in.  Since it's seat can't block any passengers in case there was an evacuation, I was boarded first and in the front row.  Next were a group of 20 senior citizens who were all part of the Honor Flight Network (a non-profit organization whose mission is to transport Veterans to Washington DC to visit memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice).  This was one of the most enjoyable flights I had ever taken making the five-hour flight felt more like 30 minutes it was over so quick. 

The man sitting next to me was known as the "kid" because he was the youngest one at 87.  He was a rear gunner on a B-17 bomber.  I told him I was a pilot which excited him as we began talking about what he saw and experienced flying dozens of dangerous missions, the fright of the Luftwaffe, friends he lost, and the incredible randomness of great tragedies.  He almost started tearing up recalling a routine mission with several of his friends where all on board died because the plane simply flew into a mountain.   I could feel the cold, noise, smell, fear, cramping, claustrophobia inside the rear and belly turret of these long missions over enemy terrain.  He said the introduction of the P-51 Mustang was a game changer because they would now have armed escorts on their dangerous missions who were as agile (probably more so) as the Luftwaffe.  They frequently didn't even know what happened to their friends.  After difficult missions, they simply returned and noticed airplanes missing.  No word of what happened to their friends...are they now POW?  Did the plane ditch in the sea?  Are there survivors?  They had no easy answers.  How terrifying it must have been to fly these missions before the P-51 where it must have felt like they were a large sitting duck!  Now at least, they had a chance.

Halfway through the flight, many of these men had to go the bathroom so my front row chair became a rotating door of great stories from these incredible veterans.   One consistent story I heard was how much they all revered one of the passengers on the flight above all else.  Finally, he made his way to the front row seat awaiting the bathroom. 

When he sat next to me, we started talking and I saw his cap "101st Airborne Screaming Eagles" Infantry division.  My jaw dropped.  He was a paratrooper on D-Day who jumped from a glider behind enemy lines in the middle of the night during the Invasion of D-Day.  Against incredibly bad odds, he survived the battle telling me that night, he lost half his company.  Just imagine, in a 24-hour period losing one out of two people you trained and bonded with. 

It was incredibly humbling to meet these heroes and I was reminded of them seeing interviews from Normandy on the 75th anniversary.  I will never forget meeting them and hearing their stories first hand.  Thank you for your service and sacrifice. 

[Owen David]

Very powerful! And you've achieved a good orchestral sound there. Do you use mixing desk software?

[relm1]

Very powerful! And you've achieved a good orchestral sound there. Do you use mixing desk software?

Thank you very much!  Sorry, not sure what you mean?  Are you asking if I mixed this? 

[Roasted Swan]

There are many reasons why this is a deeply personal topic for me.  I flew back with my trombone which requires it's own seat since it doesn't fit overhead and won't check it in.  Since it's seat can't block any passengers in case there was an evacuation, I was boarded first and in the front row.  Next were a group of 20 senior citizens who were all part of the Honor Flight Network (a non-profit organization whose mission is to transport Veterans to Washington DC to visit memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice).  This was one of the most enjoyable flights I had ever taken making the five-hour flight felt more like 30 minutes it was over so quick. 

The man sitting next to me was known as the "kid" because he was the youngest one at 87.  He was a rear gunner on a B-17 bomber.  I told him I was a pilot which excited him as we began talking about what he saw and experienced flying dozens of dangerous missions, the fright of the Luftwaffe, friends he lost, and the incredible randomness of great tragedies.  He almost started tearing up recalling a routine mission with several of his friends where all on board died because the plane simply flew into a mountain.  I could feel the cold, noise, smell, fear, cramping, claustrophobia inside the rear and belly turret of these long missions over enemy terrain.  He said the introduction of the P-51 Mustang was a game changer because they would now have armed escorts on their dangerous missions who were as agile (probably more so) as the Luftwaffe.  They frequently didn't even know what happened to their friends.  After difficult missions, they simply returned and noticed airplanes missing.  No word of what happened to their friends...are they now POW?  Did the plane ditch in the sea?  Are there survivors?  They had no easy answers.  How terrifying it must have been to fly these missions before the P-51 where it must have felt like they were a large sitting duck!  Now at least, they had a chance.

Halfway through the flight, many of these men had to go the bathroom so my front row chair became a rotating door of great stories from these incredible veterans.  One consistent story I heard was how much they all revered one of the passengers on the flight above all else.  Finally, he made his way to the front row seat awaiting the bathroom. 

When he sat next to me, we started talking and I saw his cap "101st Airborne Screaming Eagles" Infantry division.  My jaw dropped.  He was a paratrooper on D-Day who jumped from a glider behind enemy lines in the middle of the night during the Invasion of D-Day.  Against incredibly bad odds, he survived the battle telling me that night, he lost half his company.  Just imagine, in a 24-hour period losing one out of two people you trained and bonded with. 

It was incredibly humbling to meet these heroes and I was reminded of them seeing interviews from Normandy on the 75th anniversary.  I will never forget meeting them and hearing their stories first hand.  Thank you for your service and sacrifice. 

That is a wonderful and powerful story and thankyou for sharing.  I simply cannot imagine what it must have been like in one of those heavy bombers - especially in the US-led daylight raids.  The randomness of those who lived and those who died.....  Memorialising their sacrifice and bravery is massively important especially if we want to avoid anything like that happening ever again and your music is part of that process.

[vandermolen]

Yes, a very moving account from the man with the trombone in the bathroom waiting area. You were well-positioned to get those stories.