The 25th of April marks a very important day for both Australia and New Zealand; ANZAC Day. It is a day to pay our respects to all those who served our country and those who made the ultimate sacrifice, so that we could live freely. I myself went to the ANZAC Day Dawn Service two years ago and I was incredibly moved. I remember walking to the shrine among a crowd of people early in the morning before the sun had come up. We walked in complete silence which that in itself felt eerie. We then stood and waited for the service to start.

I think what have the biggest effect on me was when they played The Last Post. Just a single soldier playing the song on the trumpet following a minuet of silence. It is such a unique and identifiable tune, one that you would recognize any where.

This year I did not attend the service, but I would like to again in the years to come. I did however find I video on Youtube created by the Australian Army of The Last Post. It showed a single soldier performing The Last Post at the Shrine Of Remembrance. There were shots of the eternal flame, red poppies, and the empty shrine where the soldier played. I found this video very moving and it made me think about the power of music and how it can create very strong emotional reactions. Furthermore, the video was shot in the early morning before the sun had come up, which meant the shrine was in darkness. This also added to the feel of the video.

It is important to remember those who fought for our freedom and those who continue to fight.

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”