Better Times
Initially performed for the Centenary of Armistice Day, "Better Times" is a musical reflection on the Great War; the Golden Summer of 1914, keeping spirits up in the trenches, the effect on civilians on all sides of the conflict and the longevity of the aftereffects of the war.
Performed initially for the Centenary of Armistice Day on 10 November 2018, this "Better Times" was also presented at the National Arts Festival in 2019. The concert featured music from both sides of the conflict, as well as a section on the South African experience. "Sikumbula amaGorha okoweth, siyakhala Mendi" looks at the tragedy of the sinking of the SS Mendi, and was written specially for the occasion by Simthembile Xeketwana and Glyn-Lloyd Jones.
During the war self-published 'Trench Newspapers' were passed amongst the troops, helping to boost morale and poke fun at high command. "The Wipers Times" is perhaps the most famous example of these. The last edition of this paper, titled "The Better Times", was released in November 1918 and served as the inspiration for the name and printed programme of this project.
Just after the First World War the world was a bleak place. Eight months after Armistice Day, many soldiers were still away rebuilding the devastated French and Belgian countryside and Spanish flu was sweeping across the planet, infecting about a third of the world’s population. The 2019 performances paid homage to and emphasised the longevity of the aftereffects of the war.
Posters
Programme
