Grahame Koehne Grahame Koehne i(A87261 works by)
Gender: Male
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Works By

Preview all
1 1 The Diggers’ Requiem Nigel Westlake (composer), Elena Kats-Chernin (composer), Richard Mills (composer), Grahame Koehne (composer), Ross Edwards (composer), Andrew Schultz (composer), Christopher Latham (composer), 2018 single work musical theatre

'The Diggers’ Requiem is a moving and beautiful Australian tribute to the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. The newly formed Australian War Memorial Orchestra and Choir along with members of the Band of the Royal Military College Duntroon, will be directed by Christopher Latham.

'The Requiem represents - in 12 movements - the battles of Fromelles, Pozières, Bapaume, Bullecourt, Villers-Bretonneux, Hamel, Amiens, Péronne and Mont Saint-Quentin, Bellenglise, Montbrehain, Ypres and Passchendaele in Belgium. It refers to death of the Red Baron and the charge of Beersheba in Palestine, which was the last great charge of cavalry. 62,000 bells representing each Australian who died are incorporated into the last movement, Lux Aeterna.

'The different movements were written by some of the greatest Australian contemporary composers, as well as the recently discovered Frederick Septimus Kelly, who died at Beaumon-Hamel in 1916. His Lament of the Somme, which evokes the Battle of Pozières, near Albert, was written just two weeks before his death. Elena Kats-Chernin, who finished writing her piece last year, will evoke the battle of Bullecourt in the Pas-de-Calais. Alex Lithgow who wrote the stirring Victoria March, which was played by the Australian Army as it marched into Bapaume in 1917, has his work incorporated into Nigel Westlake’s the Glass Soldier, a piece for trumpet and orchestra. A lone piper plays a lament by Pipe-Major John Grant in the last movement.

'This extraordinary symphonic work was devised and curated by Christopher Latham, Artistic Director of the Flowers of War project, and the first musical artist-in-residence at the Australian War Memorial.' (Production summary)

1 1 The Gallipoli Symphony Omar Faruk Tekbilek (composer), Gareth Farr (composer), Richard Nunns (composer), Grahame Koehne (composer), Peter Sculthorpe (composer), Elena Kats-Chernin (composer), Kamran Ince (composer), Ross Harris (composer), Andrew Schultz (composer), Ross Edwards (composer), Demir Demirkan (composer), Grahame Koehne (composer), 2015 single work musical theatre

'The story of the Gallipoli campaign is everlasting. It is a story of endeavour, courage, tragedy, great achievements and great sacrifices. It is a story of young nations and old coming together in conflict. It is, most of all a human story, of the spectrum of human emotions. This story is woven into the fabric of Australia, New Zealand and Turkey. Millions of words have been written about the campaign, but the story has never been ‘narrated’ musically, until now.

'The Gallipoli Symphony is a major composition produced by internationally respected composers from Australia, New Zealand and Turkey. It represents the first time ever that eleven acclaimed composers from three nations that fought in the campaign have collaborated on a single commemorative work of this scale.

'The Gallipoli story was structured into parts, like chapters in a book, each themed around an element of the campaign and assigned to a composer to create a work based on that theme.

  • Gelibolu : Omar Faruk Tekbilek (Turkey)
  • He Poroporaoki (Farewell): Gareth Farr and Richard Nunns (New Zealand)
  • The Voyage : Graeme Koehne AO (Australia)
  • Thoughts of Home : Peter Sculthorpe AO OBE (Australia)
  • The Landing : Elena Kats-Chernin (Australia)
  • The Invasion : Kamran Ince (Turkey)
  • God Pity Us Poor Soldiers : Ross Harris (New Zealand)
  • The August Offensive : Andrew Schultz (Australia)
  • The Trenches Are Empty Now : Ross Edwards (Australia)
  • Hope of the Higher Heart : Demir Demirkan (Turkey)
  • Future : Graeme Koehne AO (Australia)

'Every year since 2006 a movement of the Symphony has been presented at Gallipoli. Leading classical and traditional musicians engaged from Turkey, Australia and New Zealand, augmented by musicians drawn from the Australian and New Zealand military bands performed a piece of The Gallipoli Symphony in the early hours of 25 April for the thousands of attendees awaiting the Dawn Service.

'After ten years in the making, The Gallipoli Symphony will be performed for the world in 2015.

'The Gallipoli Symphony creates an important legacy. It tells the story of the Gallipoli campaign through music; reminding us of the horror and the heartache and carrying a message of hope, peace, friendship and collaboration between nations.' (Publication summary)

1 Grandma's Shoes Libby Hathorn , Grahame Koehne (composer), 2000 single work musical theatre children's
1 3 y separately published work icon Love Burns Love Burns : Chamber Opera in Two Acts; Love Burns : Ironic Opera in Two Acts Louis Nowra , Grahame Koehne (composer), 1992 Grosvenor Place : Australian Music Centre , 1992 Z1322981 1992 single work musical theatre opera

Love Burns explores the macabre relationship between psychiatric nurse Angela and gigalo Jack that results in a series of murders. Inspired by the true story of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck, the notorious 'lonely hearts killers' of the 1940s, who also inspired the 1969 cult movie, The Honeymoon Killers, Louis Nowra and Graeme Koehne's chamber opera attempts to portray psychotic behaviour in a witty, humorous style.

X