My Anti-War Medal

Anti-war Medal by Elaine Luther (c) 2007

Here’s my anti-war medal that’s in the Anti-War Medal Show at Gallery I/O in New Orleans. It says, “All Gave Some.”

The title of the piece is “Why Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye,” a reference to the Civil War Era Song. The sheet music I have of it calls it an Irish folk song and it was arranged by Alice Parker.

Here are a few lines:

“When goin’ the road to sweet Athy, Huroo! Huroo!
When goin’ the road to sweet Athy, Huroo! Huroo!
When goin’ the road to sweet Athy, a stick in my hand and drop in my eye, a doleful damsel I heard cry: Johnny, I hardly knew ye.

With your drums and guns and guns and drums, Huroo! Huroo!
With your drums and guns and guns and drums, Huroo! Huroo!
With your drums and guns and guns and drums, the enemy nearly slew ye”

Hearing it in a choral performance is amazing, it’s a powerful and haunting song.

The show may travel to more locations, I’ll announce those as they are known.

Visit Thomas Mann’s Gallery I/O website here. See the rest of the medals in the show here.

Materials: Precious Metal Clay (fine silver), fine silver mesh and black ribbon.

Medal and photograph are (c) Elaine Luther 2007 All Rights Reserved

This post was originally published on CreativeTextureToosl.com/news on December 30, 2007