A National Theatre of Scotland recording, co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary, composed by Gareth Williams with lyrics by Oliver Emanuel.
Performed by Emma Connell Smith, Stewart Webster, Sonia Cromarty, Steve Cooper, Aisling O’Dea, Elias Rooney, Wendy Somerville, Kirsty Findlay, Paige Peddie, Connie MacFarlane, Bethany Tennick, Amanda Wilkin and Peter Hannah, Louis Maskell, Josh Manning, Nigel Brown and Fraser Hume.
To be released as download and CD on 11 November 2020
Lost Light is a new album of music fromThe 306 Trilogy, with music by Gareth Williams and lyrics by Oliver Emanuel, commemorating the heart-breaking true story of the 306 men executed for cowardice and desertion during the First World War.
Capturing the anguish of trench life, the pain of loss back home in the streets of Glasgow and London, the anger of being forgotten by future generations, the music expresses the highs and lows of ordinary people in extraordinary times. A selection of music from the highly acclaimed score is being made available on CD and download, releasing on 11 November 2020, marking Armistice Day.
The album will also be shared as a free resource with schools and libraries across the country, as well as being made available to former soldiers and veteran organisations.
Lost Light will be available to stream or buy through all major music streaming services and platforms from 11 November. The album will also be available to purchase physically on CD through the National Theatre of Scotland website. The album can also be previewed through Soundcloud
About The 306 Trilogy
The 306 Trilogy was co-produced with Perth Theatre and co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary.
The first part, The 306: Dawn, premiered in the summer of 2016 and was performed in a cavernous barn in rural Perthshire, was set around the events of the Battle of the Somme, marking the centenary of the Somme Offensive, and followed the story of three of the condemned soldiers.
The second part, The 306: Day, premiered in Perth’s historic Station Hotel in 2017, and charted the struggles of the women and families left behind on the home front, as well as their fight to be heard over the clamour of conflict. The 306: Dawn was produced in association with Red Note Ensemble andThe 306: Day was co-produced with Stellar Quines.
The final part of the trilogy, The 306: Dusk, premiered in Perth Theatre in October 2018 and brings the trilogy into the modern day, exploring the depth of feeling around the First World War a century on from its conclusion, and how the trauma continues to haunt soldiers in the modern day.
14-18 NOW was a programme of extraordinary arts experiences connecting people with the First World War, as part of the UK’s official centenary commemorations. 35 million people engaged with the programme between 2014 and 2018. Working with arts and heritage partners all across the UK, 14-18 NOW commissioned new artworks from 420 contemporary artists, musicians, film makers, designers and performers, inspired by the period 1914-18. It commissioned 107 projects in more than 220 locations across the UK, touching millions of people emotionally and engaging 8 million young people with the First World War. Projects include Danny Boyle’s Pages of the Sea, Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old, Jeremy Deller’s We’re Here Because We’re Here, PROCESSIONS and LIGHTS OUT. 14-18 NOW was also responsible for the UK tour of the iconic poppy sculptures Wave and Weeping Window by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper. The sculptures visited 19 locations around the UK and were seen by over 4.6 million people. The sculptures have now become part of the Imperial War Museums’ collection. 14-18 NOW was supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England, by the DCMS with additional funding from The Backstage Trust, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Clore Duffield Foundation, NatWest and support from individuals.
Jim Welsh
Radio Summerhall Arts 