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.
