Thousands of women and children were among those who struggled to
leave Singapore just before capitulation on February 15 1942; their
hope was to reach safety. For many that hope was never realised;
countless numbers drowned as ships were bombed and sunk on their
way to safety'. The lucky' ones who survived the onslaught of the
ships would become guests of the Japanese; many of these would not
live to see the end of the war. Two very different women fleeing on
those last ships and subsequently interned in camps throughout
Sumatra were Margaret Dryburgh, a missionary and teacher, and
Shelagh Brown, a secretary at the Singapore Naval Base. Their paths
crossed briefly prior to the catastrophic events of 1942 and met
again in internment. The Captives Hymn' composed by Margaret
Dryburgh was initially sung by herself along with Shelagh Brown and
friend Dorothy MacLeod on 5 July 1942. It has since been sung at
services throughout internment and continues to be sung at services
all over the world. Music and faith were fundamental to both their
lives and Margaret's creative talents lifted the spirits of
everyone during those dark and difficult days. In a remarkable
partnership, when the women were struggling to find something new
that would lift their flagging spirits, Margaret and fellow
internee Norah Chambers produced a Vocal Orchestra' using women's
voices in place of instruments. The first performance stunned the
entire camp; they had never heard anything so beautiful and
momentarily made them feel that they were free and floating away
with the music. This true account, using personal diaries and
family documents traces Margaret Dryburgh and Shelagh Brown's
journey from childhood through to adulthood and internment. Early
life shapes adult life and perhaps contributed to their response to
captivity which showed courage, tenacity, perseverance and
surprisingly, given the appalling conditions, a good deal of
humour. May the Day of Freedom Dawn'
General
Imprint: |
Pen & Sword History
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
July 2022 |
Authors: |
Barbara Coombes
|
Dimensions: |
234 x 156 x 34mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
272 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-5267-8775-0 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
General
|
LSN: |
1-5267-8775-X |
Barcode: |
9781526787750 |
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