Whangarei’s Field of Remembrance featuring hundreds of white crosses in memory of those who did not return from war, will again be a solemn and spectacular feature of ANZAC celebrations this year.
Updated:
22/03/2011 4:47 p.m.
The Field of Remembrance was first installed at Laurie Hall Park last year in the month before ANZAC Day. It generated a wave of supportive comments and positive feeling in the community and the following ANZAC Day commemoration in the Park was one of the most strongly attended in the District’s history.
The Whangarei RSA Trust, with the support of Whangarei District Council, will coordinate the 30-day commemoration again this year. The 30 days represent one day for every 1000 New Zealanders who did not return from war service.
This Saturday, 26 March, 600 crosses will be installed at Laurie Hall Park by students from local schools, armed forces representatives, cadets and war veterans. The ceremony will include a concert at 11am, the highlight of which will be a special piece of music written especially for the commemoration.
‘Remembrance’, by Anthony Young, includes an instrumental part which will be played by the Whangarei Youth Music Concert Band conducted by Shane Burns, and a choral part which will be sung by a collaboration of members from local choirs and other interested members of the public. Aged between 8 and 80, the singers have been practising hard over the last two months under the direction of Mary Britton, assisted by members from the Harmony Chorus.
Anthony's commission was funded by SOUNZ who promote the collaboration of professional kiwi composers with community groups.
Whangarei Youth Music (a community music organization that operates from Kamo High music suite on Friday afternoons) applied for the SOUNZ Community Commission last year and won the New Zealand wide grant. The choir and band has been supported by funding from the Whangarei District Council.
Placing the crosses is the first of three ceremonies that will take place between March 26 and April 27. The second ceremony will be the ANZAC Day service held at Laurie Hall Park at dawn on Monday 25 April. The service will include the tradition of reading the names of the fallen and the guest speaker will be a student who participated in the RNZRSA National Speech Competition “New Zealanders at War”.
The third ceremony at the conclusion of the 30 days will be held at dawn on Tuesday 27 April 2010 when the crosses will be uplifted.