A musical memorial
As part of the project at Castle Drogo, four Year 12 Music ‘A’ level students at Okehampton College composed a piece of music as a memorial to William George Arscott. Click on the icon below to hear it.
The students provided the following information about the composition.
In Memoriam William George Arscott
The piece starts with percussive sounds which represent the fact that he was a stonemason. You hear the bells ringing to represent his hobby as a bell ringer in Drewsteignton. The melody emerges played by flute. The tune is folk-like to represent a simple country way of living. The melody is then repeated with the clarinet in harmony before a timpani roll heralds the beginning of the war. The fanfare-like idea from the trumpet and snare drum roll give a militaristic effect. This links into the idea of celebration of going into the war, as they were unaware of what awaited them. There is a new melancholic theme in a minor key to show the atrocities of the war. This section ends abruptly to reflect when George was killed in battle. The original theme then returns but this time much slower and in a minor key, and played by trumpet and clarinet. This is evocative of the end of George’s life.
Courtenay Bolt, Ellie Joy, Oli Mander, Ollie Loram.