Gallipoli Violin Sonata

[moggs]

Found this site

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/13/3216285.htm

which tells the story of a violin sonata written at Gallipoli. An Australian has done the research based on the composer being Australian (of a sort) although he did serve with the English - and good luck to him. His story did not end well but the music will now live on.

Enjoy this and I hope we all get to hear it sooner than later.

Jonathan

[Bardess]

This should be made into a play. CWGC

[David_Underdown]

F S Kelly was part of a small group of musicians and poets serving with the RND. Best known is Rupert Brooke but there was also composer and music critic William Denis Browne, he and Kelly played a lot of music together on the troopships going over to Gallipoli

[michaeldr]

Kelly was wounded in action at the same time as Denis Browne was killed. Kelly was wounded twice on Gallipoli and lost his life at the Ancre "In clearing up the dug-outs in the enemy third line……..leading a gallant and successful attack on a machine-gun emplacement which threatened to enfilade the whole advance on this flank." (Jerrold)

Oc Asquith wrote a piece for the Eton Chronicle on Cleg Kelly's war service

"Cleg will be truly missed and mourned in the (Hood) Battalion.

He was not, and I think never would have made, an enthusiastic soldier. He spent most of his leisure time composing music and reading books, and was not alive to all aspects of military life around him. But he had all a true artist's desire to perfect his Company. He was an uncompromising disciplinarian, spared neither others nor himself, and rarely turned a blind eye. Highly-strung, and as brave as a lion, aware and utterly contemptuous of all risks, he commanded the confidence and respect of all under his command…

He was contentious, always happiest in argument: interested in the psychology of his friends, highly critical of them, and warm-heartedly loyal to them; and violently intolerant of anything that bore the faintest tinge of cheapness, insincerity, pretentiousness or bad manners." (as reproduced in Capt. Page's biography of Asquith, 'Command in the Royal Naval Division')

There are lots of references to Kelly in Capt. Page's excellent book as I think that Asquith had Kelly's diary after his death (?)

One further snippet "Kelly made himself unpopular at the base (in France): he insisted on sporting a full beard, something which was not permitted in the Army, and pointing out that the Royal Navy took precedence on parade."

I look forward to listening to the music some day

Michael

[michaeldr]

There are some further bits about Kelly here http://hear-the-boat-sing.blogspot.com/search/label/F.S.%20Kelly including information on his diaries

"F. S. Kelly’s diaries, which he began to write in 1907, were bought by the National Library of Australia in 1979, and were published under the title Race Against Time – The Diaries of F.S. Kelly, selected, edited and introduced by Thérese Radic in 2004."

[michaeldr]

Via Google books;

From page 12 of 'Race against Time – the diaries of F S Kelly' -

"Though the Balliol College War Memorial Book entry on Kelly states that his diaries were begun on 21 December 1906, the volumes held in the National Library of Australia open on 1 October 1907 when Kelly returned to Frankfurt. The same source also claims the diaries ended on 12 November 1916. The Library's set, however, concludes aboard HMT Grantully Castle off Cape Helles on 29 April 1915"

Page 30 also mentions his works including –

"World War I produced the sketch 'Green Grow the Rushes Oh', for voices, chorus and brass band, which though undated is probably from his early war service days; Elergy, which is dated 27 June 1915 Alexandria (while recovering from a wound); and the three-movement incomplete Sonata in F Minor for piano, dated at Bisham grange and written on 27 April and 1 and 3 May 1916 (leave between service on the Aegean Islands and the Western Front) What were possibly his last works are also present (at the National Library [?]). These are two fragments; a harp part for Elergy 'done from memory 27 Oct 1916 at Mesnil', and a theme for orchestral variations, preceded by an introduction, and dated 'Mesnil, near Thiepval 28 October 1916'.

Page 34 reveals that Kelly was made quartermaster to his battalion (Drake) 29 December 1914, but on learning that the RND were to leave for the Dardanelles he sought an interview with General Mercer, fearing that his QM duties would deny him the chance to serve overseas. Mercer had him transferred to the Hood Battalion in late February 1915.

Page 42 has an interesting ref which probably alludes to the piece which started this thread

"At one of her last receitals in Britain, Jelly d'Arányi included

'not only Kelly's Jig but also a fantasy of his called Gallipoli, which unless it was some special arrangement for violin of the Elergy, I take to have been the first performance of a hitherto unknown work'"

It would be nice to see the April 1915-November 1916 sections of the diary; I wonder where they are?

[michaeldr]

It would be nice to see the April 1915-November 1916 sections of the diary; I wonder where they are?

As I thought at first (post 4) the latter part of Kelly's diary can be found with the papers of A M Asquith see the note No.10 (page 43) of Capt. Page's biography

"Asquith was asked by Kelly's sister after the war to edit F S Kelly's diary, with a view to publication. The typed transcriptions of the original diaries, and the edited version, with comments by AMA are both in the AMA papers."

edit to add the final words from the diary 11 November 1916

"It was a dull, misty, still day and the sun did not appear. I walked to Martinsart for a good bath at 10.30am. We had parades at 12am and 3pm. Early in the afternoon I tested some fuses of P Bombs. And we set alight two P Bombs in a trench at the back of our billets on the other side of the road. They emitted a great deal of smoke. There was an Officers' meeting at headquarters at 6pm. Fish [Lt. Sidney Fish] of the Battalion dined with us. It appears to be X day."

Edited 14 May , 2011 by michaeldr

[michaeldr]

Mention of Kelly's sister Mary in the above post, brings in a further Gallipoli connection

Mary A Kelly (known as Maisie) married in 1915, a naval officer, John (Joe) Donald Kelly [no relation] captain of HMS Dublin.

See http://www.admirals.org.uk/admirals/fleet/kellyjd.php

quote:- Report by Adm. Sir Roger Keyes:- "served under my command for a year as 2nd in Command, Medn., 1927-28. During Gallipoli Campaign he commanded 'Dublin' in Allied Fleet, in which I was C.O.S. to V.A.C. Henwas D.O.D., and later 4 S.L. on the Board, of which I was D.C.N.S. When 'Goben' & 'Breslau' escaped from Medn. Fleet into Mamora, the conduct of his brother, Howard, in 'Gloucester', is accepted as a classic of correct procedure, but students of that lamentable episode will give J.D. Kelly at least equal credit for his conduct in 'Dublin'. While in the E. Medn., he displayed admirable qualities of energy and enterprise, and 'Dublin' was always to the fore during the heavy engagements & arduous work in & about the Dardinelles and in support of the Army in Gallipoli during the great landing. I have the highest possible opinion of Adm. K. as a sea officer, a squadron commander and a leader who is trusted & respected throughout the Service by everyone who has ever had anything to do with him, officers & men alike. He is an able administrator who can always be relied upon to give his opinion freely & without prejudice, is fearless of responsibility, and possessed of a personality which commands respect & devoted service. As 4. S.L. he had much experience in dealing with personnel matters and there is no offr. in the Service who knows the 'Service' or individuals in it more thoroughly than Adm. K. At a moment when drastic reductions are necessary it is so important, in my opinion, that the officer mainly responsible for this should have the entire confidence of the personnel of the Navy. Because of these qualities, when the captains'list was being reduced after the war, he was selected to one of a small committee to investigate, report & make recommendations to the Sea Lords as to the relative merits of the captains. I told the 1.S.L. in the summer of 1929 of my high opinion of Adm. K. and that I considered he would make an excellent 2 S.L. I spoke in similar terms of Adm. K. to the 1. L. in Sep. 1929."

[michaeldr]

If your TV has access to the Mezzo channel, then a performance of Kelly's 'Gallipoli' can be watched on Friday 21st July

http://www.mezzo.tv/en/our-programs/kit_armstrong_en_concert?date=2017-07-14

Edited 15 July , 2017 by michaeldr