Goodall, Howard – Sure of the sky, sure of the sun (CSS)

Description

Setting both English and German texts, Sure of the Sky, Sure of the Sun Des Himmels sicher, der Sonne sicher is a haunting and moving reflection on the futility of war. The 5-minute piece for SATB choir and brass waspremiered at one of the UK’s three main World War I centenary commemoration events on 4 August 2014. It was launched by the London Symphony Chorus, Schleswig-Holstein Festival Chor and Coldstream Guards, at a twilight eventattended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, and a number of world leaders, all gathered together in the tiny woodland cemetery of St Symphorien near Mons, Belgium the resting place for the first and lastBritish,and the last Commonwealth, soldiers to die on the Western Front.
The texts are “May, 1915” by Charlotte Mew (1869-1928), and “To a Missing Friend” by Goldfeld, a German Jewish soldier killed in action, the poem was discoveredby Jewish military historian, Peter C Appelbaum.