WHAT started life as a short poem has become a YouTube hit song for Eagleby woman Shelagh Clune.
The 69-year-old wrote A Son Goes Off To War when her local seniors writing group set Anzac Day as its topic in 2020.
Thanks to Covid restrictions the meeting to review the group’s 2020 Anzac Day efforts didn’t happen and a couple of months back, with Anzac Day again approaching, Shelagh decided to add some more verses to the poem.
That led to a collaboration with local muso Alan Voss, known professionally as Papa Voss, who finessed the poem into a great tribute to young Anzacs.
During World War One the enlistment age was 21 or 18 with parents’ permission but many young blokes told lies in order to be accepted as soldiers.
The Shelagh Clune/Alan Voss song is the story of one of those under-age soldiers with a heavy focus on his relationship with his mum.
Shelagh, who came to Australia from the UK aged 11, has written poetry throughout her life but this is the first time any of her work has been converted into song.
Mr Voss, who is 79 and working as an entertainer, became a muso at 21 when his brother asked him to move to Townsville to join a band.
He’d been working in a bank and had no musical experience but he quickly figured out how to play the guitar and ended up doing well with the piano, organ and clarinet as well.
That led to a life spent as a muso and music teacher.
He ran a music school in Townsville with 800 pupils and eight teachers and later had a similar operation in Ipswich for 25 years, all the while playing, writing songs and singing.
Shelagh’s song is the first war-oriented effort he has been involved with.
He said he loved the poem as soon as he heard it and was happy when Shelagh asked him to put it to music.
“I was impressed by the depth of feeling in the poem and I felt that it could be made into a memorable musical piece,” he said.
He still does paid gigs, mainly for senior citizens and never misses the Quill weekly writing group sessions where he met Shelagh.
If you want a reminder of the sacrifices made by our Anzac heroes A Son Goes Off To War will hit the spot.
