The Burning Marl

From the horrors of war, the human condition is laid bare under the terror of power. The Burning Marl, a book of poems by John le Gay Brereton (1919), relays the Australian narrative of the Great War. Of the book’s 18 poems, extracts of 9 have been selected:

1. War
2. Belgium
3. Transports
4. The Dirge
5. Light Loss
6. Death
7. The Power of Hell
8. The War After the War
9. The Patriot

First performed on 10 October 2017 by Lachlan McDonald (baritone) and the composer (piano) at Melba Hall, Melbourne, Australia.