Special thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts for making this pilot project possible through the 2009 Creativity and Aging in America grant.
At Fort Worden, 1945
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The "World War II Homecoming Song" sprang to life one afternoon during a collaborative songwriting session with more than 30 elders and their loved ones at the Dungeness Courte Alzheimer's Community in Sequim, WA. When four veterans of World War II began to share their stories, the group began to compose a masterpiece both from the perspective of veterans returning home, and the families who greeted them.
The creation of this song offers a striking example of how collaborative songwriting can improve cognitive function and bring other health and social benefits. During the session, the daughter of one participant awakened to her father's unspoken love for his twin brother — she moved him across the country to spend his final year by his brother's side.
Songwriting Works is proud to present the first published video of a song composed by elders as part of our current award-winning program on the Olympic Peninsula.
The video, created by Aba Kiser, with production support from Andrew Burke and Ben Ericson, references images from the Second World War that spark the imagination and help the song come to life. The song was recorded live during a celebratory concert in Port Townsend on 11/11/2009 with Judith-Kate Friedman, Matt Sircely, Anke Summerhill, Keeth Monta Apgar, Paula Lalish, and the PT Songlines Choir, directed by Laurence Cole.
Read the "Case Study" on how the song was written
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WWII Homecoming Song
On the way over in WWII
with my twin brother in the Marines
I went all over
Shipped out again to the Phillipines
Africa, China, Korea, Japan
South Pacific – The war got over
We came back home
Both alive
Hallelujah
The big day is when the ship comes home
We fly to Hawai’i to meet the ship
Wives have been waiting
Children waiting – Families waiting
Aaaah....
Seventeen months in one stretch
I don’t want to go over again
Aaa—ah.....
The big day is when the ship comes home
We wait on the dock to meet the ship
Family together – Celebrating
Home on the front porch
Big orange soda – and some moonshine
Aaaah....
Home Again
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
© 2009 Composing Together Works. Words and music by elders of Dungeness Courte, family members, and staff with Judith-Kate Friedman, Paula Lalish, Andrew Wheatley, Matt Sircely, and Keeth Monta Apgar of Songwriting Works. A project of Songwriting Works on the Olympic Peninsula in conjunction with Arts Northwest and the Olympic Area Agency on Aging with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information contact: 360.385.1160. www.songwritingworks.org
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