O’Sullivan’s poem is a commentary on the ‘homecoming’ of all
those called to national service – the flickering edges of dawn
at the border of recognition. It speaks to the moment of pride
and humility of the soldiers return, the familiarity of New Zealand
life after the tumult and dislocation of overseas campaigning – a
salutatory to those who fought for origins worth returning to.
(Source: New Zealand Online Journal of Multi- and Interdisciplinary Studies)
This setting of the poem was written for performance near the one-
hundredth anniversary of the end of World War 1. It was originally
intended for an “out of town” concert by Auckland Choral close to the
date of the anniversary. “Homecoming - Te Hokinga Mai” is dedicated
to the choir and its conductor Uwe Grodd. It was premiered on October
14th 2018, with the orchestral version premiered on May 4th 2019.
Vincent O’Sullivan is a poet, novelist, short
story writer, librettist, and biographer, who
lives in Dunedin. His most recent novel is
All This By Chance .
7