Composer

:

Michael Berkeley

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Keyboard

Compose Date

:

1974 - 1978

Average_duration

:

15:07

Movement_count

:

3

Movement ....

"Strange Meeting" is a choral work composed by Michael Berkeley in 1984. It was premiered on October 25, 1984, at the Royal Festival Hall in London, by the London Sinfonietta and the London Sinfonietta Chorus, conducted by Oliver Knussen. The piece is divided into three movements, each of which is based on a poem by Wilfred Owen, a British soldier and poet who died in World War I. The first movement, "The Send-Off," is a haunting depiction of soldiers leaving for battle, set to Owen's poem of the same name. The second movement, "Anthem for Doomed Youth," is a mournful elegy for the dead, set to Owen's poem of the same name. The final movement, "Strange Meeting," is a powerful meditation on the futility of war, set to Owen's poem of the same name. Berkeley's music is characterized by its intense emotional power and its ability to capture the horror and tragedy of war. The choral writing is particularly effective, with the voices often blending together to create a sense of unity and solidarity. The orchestration is spare and atmospheric, with the use of percussion and brass adding to the sense of drama and tension. Overall, "Strange Meeting" is a deeply moving work that pays tribute to the sacrifices made by soldiers in World War I, while also serving as a powerful reminder of the devastating consequences of war.

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