Sam Neill visits King's for commemorative CD

Jurassic Park and Peaky Blinders actor Sam Neill came to King's on Saturday 6 December to record his voiceover contribution to a unique commemorative CD called Gallipoli - A Tribute, co-ordinated by Visiting Professor of Music at King’s Fra’ Richard Divall with Lady Primrose Potter, Life Governor of Australian philanthropic organisation the Ian Potter Foundation.

The CD contains works composed by men who served both on Gallipoli and in the following campaign in France, as well as texts from the period including poetry by Rupert Brooke, Dame Mary Gilmore, Lawrence Binyon, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It also includes two specially commissioned new works and introductions written by the Governors-General of Australia and New Zealand and the Prime Minister of Australia. 

Narration is provided by the great Australian Shakespearean actor John Bell as well as New Zealander Neill, who was welcomed on Saturday by the Principal and Mrs Melissa Byrne. All of the artists - orchestra, chamber ensembles, choirs, singers and pianists donated their services freely and the CD will be distributed to all public and school libraries in Australia and New Zealand, Heads of State, all members of Parliament, Embassies, radio stations, as well as some overseas libraries, and will be available for free download as a community service.   

In 2015 Australia and New Zealand will commemorate the centenary of the landings at Anzac Cove, where their forces joined those of Great Britain, the Dominions and France in attempting to force The Dardanelles. The campaign, strongly fought on every side, resulted in the eventual but successful evacuation of the Allied forces. The day of the landings, 25 April, is the National Day of Remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, and recent years have witnessed a considerable rise in understanding and Remembrance in both countries.