The first victim of war
Characters
The Officers Tenor and Bass semi-chorus
The children Soprano and Alto semi-chorus
The Pilot Counter-tenor soloist.
Dr. David Kelly Tenor soloist.
Scene
This scene concentrates on the emotional torment of Dr. David Kelly just before his untimely death on Harrowdown Hill. I personally feel Dr. Kelly must have experienced deep personal anguish over his role in the Iraq war, and indeed his expertise in weaponry being the antithesis of the core aspects of his Bahá'í Faith.
Yet, ironically it is his very involvement in the Iraq war that sets him on the journey to true enlightenment through the Seven Valleys of his faith. Throughout the scene I intend to show Dr. Kelly experiencing great guilt, shame and a sense of helplessness and inevitablilty. This will also be interspersed with a gradual metamorphosis from Dr. Kelly a world-weary government advisor to one who has experienced an inner peace by experiencing in miniature the Seven Valleys of the Bahá'í Faith.
The scene is simultaneously in four separate locations:
· With Dr. Kelly on Harrowdown Hill as he comes to terms with his involvement in the war and how this
· With British Army Officers at naval base in the southern port of Umm Qasr.
· With Iraqi children playing in Basrah, who spot British aircraft flying overhead.
· With a solitary British pilot in his cockpit, flying over Basrah.
Scene
Dr. Kelly
And so it is;
And so it has always been.
The fire rages.
The Officers: Dr. Kelly
Cocooned in a cabin of coloured screens We seek the ashes,
Too late to ponder what might have been. The ashes of ourselves.
Dr. Kelly
The hour of my departure’s come;
I hear the voice that calls me home.
The Officers Dr. Kelly
Their fate was fastened with my harness. Death is the gate
But we are fond of our prison.
Not in mine innocence I trust,
I bow to thy sanctuary.
The Pilot
I HATE NO MAN
The Officers The Children
Guided by crosshairs Painful birds
They spear the sky
Vapour trails
and eagle’s eyes.
Dr. Kelly The Children
I leave the world Painful birds
without a tear Dance with the sun
I am shielded from sorrow Chasing clouds,
At last, let trouble cease. it’s course to run.
The Pilot
I SEEK NO GLORY
The Officers The Children Dr. Kelly
With one touch Painful birds At last, let trouble cease.
We fix their fate. Fly all around I come at thy command.
Hear the heart Let trouble cease.
and thunder pound.
The Officers The Children Dr. Kelly
With one touch Thunderpound At last, O Lord,
We fix their fate Swoopinglowcan’thideaway Let trouble cease….
Wewillnowbecomeit’sprey
The Pilot
I DO MY DUTY
Dr. Kelly The Children
…and let thy servant die in peace. Wewillnowbecomeit’sprey
wewillnowbecomeit’sprey
wewillnowbecomeit’sprey
wewillnowbecomeit’sprey
The Pilot
I HATE NO MAN
Dr. Kelly
At last
Let trouble cease.
My body with my charge lay down.
Let light resound
Amongst us all.
Posted
by Lattes and funk
at Tue, 15 May 2012 22:06:00 -0000