Cross, Martin/Radic, Therese: To Gallipoli and the Somme

It was a performance unique in the history of music. In mid-September 1916, soldiers from a battalion brass band took up positions just 100 meters in front of a British 4.5-inch howitzer battery. They tuned their instruments, raised them, andat their conductors commandplayed the *1812 Overture*, while the heavy artillery provided the famous cannon-fire finale and simultaneously unleashed hellfire upon the enemy. The band belonged to the Hood Battalion. Their intrepid conductorFrederick Septimus Kellyis the subject of this first full-length biography. Kelly was born in Sydney but attended Eton and Oxford. Although already known in London circles as a pianist and composer, he made his public debut as a pianist in Sydney in 1911 at the age of thirty, returning to London a year later to pursue a professional career. Kelly inherited a fortune; his father was a mining magnate. He knew the right people and had access to power and influence. He was the life of every social gatheringwitty, charming, and a welcome guest everywhere. His diaries bear witness to a privileged life within Edwardian high society and to outstanding athletic achievements. As a rower, he won the Diamond Sculls three timesan event then considered the world championship. He was a member of the famous "Old Crocs" eight, which unexpectedly won the Olympic gold medal for Great Britain in 1908. As an officer in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for "exceptional gallantry" during the evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula in January 1915. Kelly was 35 years old when he fell on November 13, 1916, near Beaucourt-sur-Ancre in France, while leading his company in a major assault on the German lines. He had already made a name for himself as a London-based pianist, composer, and patron of music. Authors Therese Radic and Martin Cross shed light on Kelly's incredible life.