60 years on from the end of World
War II is a time to remember, not a time to celebrate. 'A Promise
Of Peace', the first solo album by Lee Saunders,
reflects this sentiment in the strongest terms. It stands as a testimony
to sober remembrance and not as a trophy signifying the hollow victory
of the second world war.
The mood that dominates
'A Promise Of Peace' is one of foreboding. This is not
the story of gallant Generals and Majors viewed with misty eyed
nostalgia, it is a story of the everyday Tommy on the front-line,
stranded at Dunkirk and the civilians enduring the utter horror
of the Blitz.
The soundscapes created
by Lee Saunders realize the death, degradation
and futility of war, whether it be fifty years ago or in modern
day Croatia, Iraq, Rwanda or Northern Ireland.
From the barking call to
arms, Poland and Dunkirk, to the capitulation of France, the battle
of Britain to the Blitz, Pearl Harbor to D-day, VE day to the
dropping of the bomb. 'A Promise Of Peace' is a chronological
story that is terrifying as it is dramatic. The music is ominous,
harrowing and powerful. The message is not one left to speculation
or interpretation.
THIS
IS WAR. THIS IS HORROR.
After so many years of
war, the music reflects on the hope and a promise of peace for
the future - but it is a blood stained hope and an empty promise
soon to be destroyed. If 'A Promise Of Peace'
has a contemporary message, it is one of anti-right wing bigotry.
Perhaps we will soon learn that war against fascism is the greatest
and most righteous war to be fought - one that undoubtedly holds
the sweetest prize.
Through this page you can access the different
sections regarding the Promise Of Peace project.
Track By Track section
: Select the 'Track By Track' section you can access a track
by track look at 'A Promise Of Peace', the lyrics for each
track and its relation to the historical events of World War II.
There are extra pages that focuses more on certain events that
shaped the outcome of the conflict.
Reviews
: A selection of reviews on 'A Promise Of Peace'
from around the world.
Interviews
: Published interviews with Lee Saunders from magazines around
the world, in reference to 'A Promise Of Peace'.
Sound
Samples : This section contains a 30 second sample
from each track off the CD 'A Promise Of Peace', and other
releases by Lee Saunders from 'The Puzzle' project. Each
sample is an mp3 file, approximately 600k in size, and of extremely
good quality. The samples are very fast to download.
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