The work was commissioned by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to commemorate the centenary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli during World War I.
[1]The text was written by the Australian musician Paul Kelly during an otherwise inactive year and takes the perspective of the soldiers at Gallipoli.
Reviewing the world premiere, Peter McCallum of The Sydney Morning Herald described it as one of Ledger's "strongest scores" and remarked, "In the first part, ominous, sometimes militaristic ideas mixed with scattered sounds, bumps and fleeting fragments in finely textured music that loomed in waves towards peaks of intensity, serenity and portentousness.
"[2] James McCarthy of Limelight similarly observed, "Ledger is resourceful enough to keep our interest, offering many rewards during the course of the work.
He continued, "Less belligerent, shorter and more affecting was the following movement in which the New Zealand Youth Choir added a skilfully layered setting of Paul Kelly's words, powerfully linking past and present, war and peace.